FBI Warns of IC3 Impersonation Scams Involving Fraudulent Fund Recovery

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a public warning about an ongoing fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate employees of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to deceive victims and steal their funds. Between December 2023 and February 2025, the agency received more than 100 reports of IC3 impersonation scams. 

Victims report the scammers’ varying methods of initial contact, including emails, phone calls, social media interactions, and forum discussions. In nearly all cases, the scammers falsely claimed to have recovered the victims' lost funds or offered assistance in retrieving funds, only to exploit the victims further.

In the IC3 impersonation scams, fraudsters create fake female profiles on social media platforms and join groups for financial fraud victims. Posing as fellow victims, they direct individuals to a supposed "Chief Director" of IC3, identified as "Jaime Quin," via Telegram. Once contacted, "Jaime Quin" claims to have recovered the victims’ funds but ultimately uses this guise to gain access to their financial information and revictimize them.

The FBI gives the following tips for safeguards against IC3 impersonation scams:

• The IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, or public forums. If further information is needed, individuals will be contacted by FBI employees from local field offices or other law enforcement officers.
• Scammers will change aliases and tactics; however, the scheme generally remains the same.
• 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 requesting 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.