“This is the FBI”: spotting fake officials

Signs it's a fake

• They want crypto, gift cards, a wire or cash. Real agencies don't take payment this way.
• They threaten you. An arrest, a warrant, missed jury duty, frozen accounts or deportation, unless you pay now.
• They tell you to move money to “protect it.” No agency asks you to do this.
• They tell you to keep it secret, even from your family or your bank.
• The caller ID or badge looks real. Caller ID can be faked, and scammers now use AI-made video and voices.

If you already reported a scam

Scammers target people who have already lost money, posing as the FBI or IC3 and offering to recover it. The FBI's own warning is clear:

• IC3 never contacts people by phone, email or social media, and has no social media accounts.
• IC3 never asks for payment to recover money, and doesn't refer people to companies that charge for it.
• Fake IC3 websites exist. Type www.ic3.gov yourself and skip “sponsored” search results.

How to check if it's real

1. 1

   Hang up

   You can always end the call. A real officer won't mind you checking.

2. 2

   Find the number yourself

   Look up the agency's phone number on its official website, ending in .gov. For the FBI, find your local field office on fbi.gov. Never use a number or link the caller gives you.

3. 3

   Call and ask

   Ask whether that person works there and whether they contacted you. Talk it over with someone you trust before you pay anyone anything.

If you already paid

• Stop all contact and don't send anything more.
• Call your bank to protect your accounts.
• Save everything: phone numbers, names, messages, receipts and transaction IDs.
• Report it to your local police, the FBI's IC3, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Shared personal details? Go to IdentityTheft.gov.
• Report fake profiles to the social media site where they reached you.

More free guides

• How to file with the FBI's IC3
• How to file a police report
• How to report a scam to your exchange
• How to find your transaction ID
• Pig butchering: what to do now
• Bitcoin ATM scam: what to do now
• What happens after you report
• Check a recovery offer for red flags
• Crypto scam terms, in plain words