The FBI has issued a warning about a new scam in which fraudsters impersonate FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) employees. Between December 2023 and February 2025, over 100 reports were received from individuals targeted by these scammers. The fraudsters contact victims through various methods, including emails, phone calls, and social media, claiming they can help recover funds lost in previous scams. They often convince victims that their money has been recovered, but the scammers are simply attempting to steal more financial information.
In one case, scammers created fake female profiles on social media, joining fraud victim groups to gain trust.
These impersonators suggested that victims contact a supposed IC3 employee named “Jaime Quin” on Telegram. Quin falsely claimed to have recovered lost funds but actually used the contact to gain access to victims’ financial details. This is part of a larger scheme where scammers prey on those who are already vulnerable from previous fraud experiences.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, the FBI recommends that individuals never share sensitive personal information with strangers met online or over the phone. They also caution against sending money, gift cards, or cryptocurrencies to anyone claiming to recover lost funds. The FBI emphasized that IC3 employees would never contact victims directly or ask for payment to recover stolen funds, warning people to be cautious when approached by suspicious figures claiming to be from government agencies.
The recent warnings from the FBI follow a similar trend of scammers impersonating law enforcement officials to steal personal information or extort money.
Just earlier this month, Spanish authorities arrested individuals posing as Europol agents or U.K. lawyers to defraud victims of their cryptocurrency investments. These types of scams are becoming more sophisticated, with fraudsters exploiting the trust people place in law enforcement and government agencies.
