FBI warns that reporting a scam can get you scammed again

If you’ve been scammed and are heading online to report it, slow down and double-check that URL first. MalwareBytes reports that according to a fresh FBI advisory, cybercriminals are spinning up spoofed versions of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website to trick victims into handing over even more personal information.

Scamming has gotten layered

It’s what onions, ogres, and phishing all have in common

The IC3 is the FBI’s main hub for cybercrime reporting, and its services are in high demand. Its 2024 report shows that Americans filed over 850,000 complaints last year, with losses totaling $16.6 billion, a 33% jump from 2023. Criminals know that means there’s a steady flow of distraught, emotional victims looking for help. Their solution? Create lookalike IC3 sites through typosquatting — buying domains that are just slightly misspelled or altered — then use them to scoop up names, addresses, emails, and even banking details from people who already lost money once.

It’s a cruel trick, and sadly not an isolated one. We’ve seen a growing trend of criminals impersonating law enforcement and government agencies, whether by spoofing phone numbers, cloning voices, or pretending to be FBI agents on social media. In one case, scammers even posed as government investigators and promised to help romance-scam victims recover lost funds.

This is all happening against a backdrop where recovery efforts are hit-or-miss. The FBI’s Recovery Asset Team did manage to freeze funds in about two-thirds of cases last year, but the average victim still lost nearly $20,000.

How to stay safe from phishing and impersonators

If you need to report a scam, type “www.ic3.gov” directly into your browser instead of clicking links you find in search results or on social media. Here’s another key thing: IC3 employees will never contact you by phone, email, or social media, and they will never ask you to pay them for fund recovery. If someone claiming to be with the FBI is telling you to send money or crypto to get your money back, it’s a scam.

Finally, check in with older friends and relatives. According to the IC3 report, the older the victim, the more they tend to lose. This scam is nasty because it preys on people who are already hurting. A quick phone call could stop someone you care about from losing even more.