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FBI scams

Last updated September 18, 2026

The short answer

The FBI does not call people to demand money, threaten arrest, or ask you to move funds to a safe account. FBI impersonation is used both to frighten money out of people and, cruelly, to re-target scam victims with fake offers to recover what they lost.

FBI impersonation is the heavy artillery of government-impersonation fraud. It appears at the point in a call where the pressure needs to escalate — after a "CBP officer" or a "Social Security investigator" has set the scene — and it shows up again months later aimed at the same victim, this time as a fake recovery unit offering to return the stolen money for a fee. The second use is the one worth knowing about in advance, because it targets people at their most vulnerable and their details are already on a list.

How FBI scams work

  1. 1

    Arrest and warrant threats

    A caller with a spoofed number says a federal warrant has been issued and offers to resolve it by phone. Badge numbers, case numbers and sometimes forged documents by email support the story.

  2. 2

    The escalation handoff

    An FBI "agent" is brought into a call started by another impersonated agency, confirming the case and raising the stakes. The layering is the persuasion technique.

  3. 3

    Fake recovery units

    Months after a loss, a caller says an FBI task force has located the victim's money and needs a fee, a tax payment, or bank details to return it. Victim lists are traded and reused; this is often the same group.

  4. 4

    Fake IC3 follow-up

    Because IC3 is where people are told to report, scammers impersonate it — emailing about a filed complaint and requesting fees, identification documents or bank details.

Warning signs

  • A caller says they are an FBI agent and you owe money or face arrest
  • You are given a badge number or case number as proof
  • Anyone offers to recover money you lost, for a fee
  • You are asked to keep the matter confidential
  • Payment is requested in gift cards, crypto, wire or a "safe account"
  • An email claims to be IC3 following up and asks for a payment or documents
  • The caller ID displays an FBI field office number

Examples

The warrant that could be settled by phone

A caller identifying as Special Agent with a real-sounding badge number tells a man there is a federal warrant for money laundering linked to his Social Security number, and that it can be resolved without arrest by converting his savings to crypto at a kiosk for "protective custody". $38,000 goes into a Bitcoin ATM over two days.

The recovery that cost more

Four months after losing $60,000 to an investment scam, a victim is contacted by an "FBI Asset Recovery Unit" saying the funds have been seized and can be returned on payment of a $4,800 release fee. She pays. A second fee follows. The FBI does not charge fees and does not contact victims this way.

What to do

  • Hang up. The FBI does not call to demand money or resolve warrants by phone.
  • Never pay a fee to recover stolen money. No legitimate recovery works that way.
  • Report at ic3.gov yourself — that is the real channel, and it never contacts you asking for money.
  • Tell someone. Secrecy instructions are the mechanism that keeps these calls working.
  • If money moved, call your bank and file at ic3.gov immediately — recalls are possible in the first hours.

Report it to FBI

File at ic3.gov, the FBI's real reporting channel. IC3 never contacts people to request fees, documents or payment.

Our step-by-step guide: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Getting your money back

A fast IC3 report can trigger the FBI's Recovery Asset Team, which has recalled a meaningful share of wires reported within roughly 72 hours — the speed of the report is the single biggest factor. Crypto and gift card losses are much harder, but report them anyway with transaction hashes and card numbers. Expect follow-on contact from fake recovery services; treat any unsolicited offer to retrieve your money as the same scam returning, and never pay a fee for it.

Frequently asked questions

Does the FBI ever call people about warrants?

No. The FBI does not telephone people to notify them of a warrant, demand payment, or offer to settle a case by phone. Agents do not take payment in any form, and there is no circumstance in which converting your savings to crypto or gift cards is part of a federal investigation.

Someone says the FBI recovered my stolen money. Is that possible?

Recovery does happen, but it comes through your IC3 report and the bank, never through an unsolicited call, and never for a fee. Paying to get stolen money back is the definition of an advance-fee scam, and victim lists are actively traded — which is why the second contact often arrives months after the first loss.

What is IC3 and how do I use it safely?

IC3.gov is the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center — the real place to report online fraud. You go to it; it does not come to you. Any email or call claiming to be IC3 following up on your complaint and asking for money, documents or bank details is an impersonation.

Other companies scammers impersonate

Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about FBI, these are the guides worth reading next.

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