Inside the scam: How criminals impersonate the FBI’s complaint center
Supervisory special agent says scammers are using AI voice cloning and fake websites to appear legitimate
(InvestigateTV) — The FBI is warning the public that scammers are impersonating IC3, the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, to target victims.
Tim Lynch, supervisory special agent and unit chief of the FBI’s Cyber-Enabled Fraud and Money Laundering Unit, said adapting to changing scam tactics is a constant part of the job.
“I’ve been an FBI agent for 22 years, and evolution is part of the game,” Lynch said. “That’s one of the challenges we have, is we have to evolve with them.”
Lynch said scammers monitor social media posts where people mention contacting the FBI or reporting scams, then use that information to recontact victims.
“What they’re doing is sometimes people on social media will say that they’ve contacted the FBI, and they will encourage people to report certain scams,” Lynch said. “And the scammers just use that to pivot and recontact people to get as much money as possible out of them.”
Lynch said scammers often target people who have already lost money, posing as agents who can recover the funds or setting up fake websites designed to resemble IC3’s official site.
Lynch said scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to sound more believable.
“Scammers are now able to use AI to sound as if they’re a normal American next door, and it puts the defenses down for the target,” Lynch said. “And they believe they’re being contacted either by a neighbor or by a reputable attorney, or in some cases, by the FBI.”
Lynch said understanding how IC3 functions can help people spot a scam. IC3 is not an investigative arm of the FBI — it typically forwards tips to the nearest FBI field office, and agents follow up directly.
“If there’s ever any doubt over whether our agents are real, we will come to your house, knock on your door, and show you our credentials to prove we are who we say we are,” Lynch said.
Lynch said many of these scams rely on urgency, and pressure to act fast is a red flag.
“Hang up. Call your local FBI office. Talk to an agent, and they’ll usually tell you that you’re the victim,” Lynch said.
Lynch also said any time someone claiming to be a federal agent is asking or demanding money, that is a scam.
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