Ethical Hacking News
Scammers impersonating the FBI on social media are targeting crime victims, warning the public to be cautious of fake profiles and pages. The IC3 advises against believing such accounts, citing a lack of social media presence and no direct communication through those channels. Victims can report incidents via the actual IC3 website for legitimate assistance.
Scammers impersonating the FBI are using social media to scam victims. Suspicious activity includes creating fake profiles or pages that appear legitimate and contacting victims directly claiming to be an FBI agent. Acknowledge that none of these profiles or pages should be believed as IC3 does not have a social media presence. Falling victim to a cybercrime or online scam and posting about it on social media can invite bad intentions.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has issued a warning about scammers impersonating the FBI on social media, with the aim of preying on crime victims. According to IC3, these scammers use various tactics to deceive and revictimize individuals, often by creating fraudulent social media profiles or pages that appear to be legitimate.
These scammers may also infiltrate online groups for fraud victims or contact them directly while claiming to represent the FBI or IC3. In some cases, victims are being contacted by someone claiming to be an FBI agent after realizing they were approached by someone trying to scam them and saying they intended to report the incident to the FBI or file an IC3 complaint.
The scammers then direct victims to a fake IC3 update page or continue communicating through messaging apps. In another instance, scammers are creating AI-generated videos on social media depicting senior FBI officials and directing users to a spoofed IC3 website to report cybercrimes they may have fallen victim to.
These AI-generated depictions of public figures are similarly being used to make such scams appear legitimate. The IC3 warns that none of these profiles or pages should be believed, as the agency does not have a social media presence and does not investigate crimes or offer to recover lost funds through social media.
"Any social media profiles or pages claiming to represent IC3 or offering to recover lost money are fraudulent and are actively attempting to steal your personal or financial information," the IC3 warned. "IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, online chat, or public forums."
However, if a victim reports an incident via the actual IC3 website, they will be contacted by an FBI employee from a local field office or other law enforcement official.
Additionally, the IC3 advises that falling victim to a cybercrime or online scam and then posting about it on social media can only invite someone with bad intentions to seek you out.
It is essential for individuals to remain vigilant and cautious when interacting with unfamiliar profiles or messages online, especially those claiming to represent government agencies such as the FBI.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/IC3-Warnings-Scammers-Impersonating-FBI-on-Social-Media-to-Prey-on-Crime-Victims-ehn.shtml
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/07/20/scammers-impersonate-fbi-on-social-media-prey-on-crime-victims/5275224
Published: Mon Jul 20 15:50:19 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
