Watch Out for ‘FBI Agents’ Offering to Recover Your Stolen Funds

The FBI is warning in a public service announcement that scammers are impersonating the agency to defraud citizens.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns the public about an ongoing fraud scheme where criminal scammers are impersonating FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) employees to deceive and defraud individuals,” reads the notice.

Between December 2023 and February 2025, the bureau received more than 100 reports of IC3 impersonation scams, prompting the agency to advise vigilance.

Revictimizing people who’ve already lost money to scams

Some complainants received an email or a phone call, while others were approached via social media or forums.

"Almost all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the victim's lost funds or offered to assist in recovering funds,” says the FBI. “However, the claim is a ruse to revictimize those who have already lost money to scams.”

In a recent example, scammers created female persona profiles on social media networking sites and joined groups for financial fraud victims, posing as fellow financial fraud victims.

“Scammers then recommend actual victims reach out to male persona, ‘Jaime Quin’ (Quin), the alleged ‘Chief Director’ of IC3, via Telegram. Once contacted, ‘Quin’ claims to have recovered the lost funds, but uses this as a ruse to gain access to their financial information and revictimize them.”

How to protect yourself from impersonation scams

The bureau stresses that its IC3 division never directly communicates with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, or public forums, underscoring that this is a major red flag.

Scammers change aliases and tactics to avoid raising suspicion, but the scheme ultimately unfolds to the same ends. The agency offers the following tips:

·      Never share sensitive information with people you have met only online or over the phone.

·      The IC3 will not ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor will they refer a victim to a company that seeks payment for recovering funds.

·      Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know or have met only online or over the phone.

If you record suspicious activity on your phone or computer, immediately report it to the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Include as much information as possible, such as:

·      Information about the person or company that contacted you.

·      Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.

·      Financial transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses.

·      Description of your interaction with the individual, including how contact was initiated, such as the type of communication, purpose of the request for money, how you were instructed to make payment, what information you gave the scammer, and any other details pertinent to your complaint.

Recovery scams abound

In June of last year, the FBI issued a similar public service announcement, warning players in the crypto market to be cautious, as fraudsters were doubling down on recovery scams.

Read: Crypto-Recovery Scammers Steal $10 Million from Victims Who Already Had Their Wallets Drained in a Previous Scam

The year prior, the feds had issued an initial warning, drawing attention to an increase in cryptocurrency recovery schemes designed to exploit victims who’d already lost cryptocurrency to fraud, scams, or theft.

Read: FBI Warns of Surge in Crypto Recovery Scams: Watch Out for These Signs!

In August 2024, FBI again warned cryptocurrency holders to keep watch for scammers impersonating exchange employees asking for login information.

According to the latest consumer alert from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost a whopping $12.5 billion to fraudsters in 2024 – up $2.5 billion from 2023.

Investment scams led to the biggest losses, with 79% of people who reported an investment-related scam losing over $9,000 on average. The $5.7 billion in losses in this category represent a $1 billion increase from last year, the FTC notes.

Read: FTC: Americans Lost $12.5 Billion to Scams Last Year

If scammers can contact you directly via phone, SMS, instant messaging or email, your personal details were likely compromised in a leak or data breach.

Use Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection to instantly find out if your data has leaked online, what type of information was compromised, what risks you face, and how to protect yourself.

When in doubt about a suspicious text, phone call, or social media interaction, Bitdefender recommends using Scamio, our free, scam-fighting AI bot. You can share with Scamio the exact thing you want to check, such as a screenshot, link, or QR code – or simply describe the situation to our chatbot in your own words. Scamio lets you know in seconds if it’s a sham.

You may also want to read:

State of New York Freezes $2.2 Million in Crypto from Job Scams

Russian Crypto Mixing Bosses Face Decades in Prison

How to Spot a Job Scam – 10 Signs You’re Dealing with a Fake Job Offer