Scams going around · Social media and messaging apps

Fake FBI or IC3 money recovery scam

Pretends to be the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or a law firm. Someone says they are from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), where people report online crime. They say they found the money you lost to a scam. They want a fee, your bank details or your Social Security number, and if you pay, you lose more money.

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

"FBI IC3 Agent Mark" on Facebook Messenger

Hello, this is Agent Mark with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). We have recovered the funds you lost. To release them, update your IC3 report at ic3-report-update.example and pay the processing fee in gift cards or crypto. Reply today or your case will be closed.

How to tell

• Someone says they are with the IC3 and contacts you first, by phone, email, social media, a chat app or an online forum. The real IC3 never contacts people that way.
• They say they found your lost money, but you must pay a fee first. The IC3 never asks for payment to recover money.
• They ask for your Social Security number or bank account number, or for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency (digital money).
• They send a link (a web address to tap) to "update your IC3 report." Or you see a video of an FBI leader sending you to a website that is not www.ic3.gov, the real IC3 website. Scammers make fake videos of real officials.
• A "law firm" says it partners with the government, or that you are on a government list of scam victims. No law firm is an official partner of US government agencies.

What to do

• Do not pay anything or tap the link. Do not give your Social Security number or bank details.
• Take a screenshot (a picture of your screen) that shows the profile name and the messages. Or write them down. You will need them if you report it.
• Then stop replying. Report the account to the social media site, and block it.
• To reach the IC3, type www.ic3.gov into the address bar (the box where you type a web address) yourself. Check that it ends in .gov.
• If you search for it instead, skip any result marked "Sponsored" (a paid ad), because those are usually copycat sites.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. If you paid by card, bank transfer, payment app or wire transfer, contact that bank or company right away. Tell them a scammer tricked you. Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.
2. If you paid with a gift card, call the gift card company right away. Use the number on the back of the card. Tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and your receipt.
3. If you paid with cryptocurrency (digital money), contact the company you used right away. That may be the exchange (the app or website where you bought it) or the crypto ATM company. Tell them it was fraud. Ask them to reverse it and refund your money.
4. If someone has used your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If it hasn't been used, or you aren't sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.
5. Report it at www.ic3.gov. Include the profile name, phone numbers, and the date, type and amount of each payment. If you are 60 or older and need help filing, call the Department of Justice's Elder Justice Hotline. The number is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).

How to check for real

The real IC3 does not call or message people. But someone from an FBI field office (the FBI's office in your area) may contact you if they need more information. So may another law enforcement officer. A real FBI office or other government agency will never ask you to pay to get your money back. It will not ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency (digital money) either. To check anyone who says they are with the FBI or another agency, look up that office's phone number yourself and call it. Do not use a number they gave you or the number that showed up when they called.

Where to report it

• The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov (type it in yourself)
• The Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• Your state attorney general
• The social media site where the fake profile contacted you, using its report or support option

Free guides that go with this

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• FBI IC3: FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3 (July 2026)
• FBI IC3: Fictitious Law Firms Targeting Cryptocurrency Scam Victims Combine Multiple Exploitation Tactics While Offering to Recover Funds (August 2025)
• FTC: Refund and Recovery Scams
• FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed