FBI: Scammers pose as FBI IC3 employees to 'help' recover lost funds

The FBI warns that scammers impersonating FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) employees offer to "help" fraud victims recover money lost to other scammers. Over the last two years, between December 2023 and February 2025, the FBI said it has received over 100 reports of fraudsters using this tactic. "Complainants report initial contact from the scammers can vary. Some individuals received an email or a phone call, while others were approached via social media or forums," the law enforcement agency warned in a Friday public service announcement. "Almost all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the victim's lost funds or offered to assist in recovering funds. However, the claim is a ruse to revictimize those who have already lost money to scams." In a recent example of such an impersonation scheme, scammers created female persona profiles on social media networking sites and joined groups for financial fraud victims, pretending to be fellow victims. Th ... Read full article.