The fake “FBI will recover your money” message

Scam guide · Updated October 15, 2026

If you've already been scammed, the next message can be worse. Someone says they work for the FBI, or for the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and that they can get your money back. On July 20, 2026, the FBI warned that scammers are using exactly this to re-victimize people who have already lost money, with AI-generated deepfake videos and spoofed IC3 websites to make it look real. (FBI IC3) The FTC describes the same trick as a refund and recovery scam: the people who contact you promise your money back, then ask for a fee or your financial details. (FTC)

What the message looks like

The FBI says the scammers reach victims by email, phone, social media ads or forums, and claim they can recover lost funds. (FBI IC3) It describes two versions:

• The “FBI agent” who finds you. A victim says they plan to report the scammers to the FBI and file an IC3 complaint. Someone posing as an FBI agent then contacts them on Facebook Messenger, moves the chat to Telegram, and sends a link to “update” the complaint. The link may install malicious code or collect financial data. (FBI IC3)
• The fake IC3 website. Social media videos use AI to show a senior FBI leader urging people to file complaints, and send viewers to a look-alike IC3 site. Only the complaint form works. It asks for a name, phone number, email, scam type and estimated loss, then gives a reference number and says someone will be in touch. (FBI IC3)

The FTC says recovery scammers often buy “sucker lists” of people who were scammed before, and may claim to be a government agency, a consumer group, a law firm or even the company that scammed you. (FTC)

The one fact that settles it

IC3 doesn't contact you, and it never asks for payment. The FBI says IC3 does not maintain a social media presence, does not investigate or recover funds through social platforms, and never asks for payment to recover lost funds. It also won't contact you directly by phone, email, social media or chat. If it needs more information, an FBI field office or another law enforcement officer will reach out. (FBI IC3) The FTC adds that neither government agencies nor legitimate organizations will ever ask for money for this kind of help. (FTC)

Signs it's fake

• Unsolicited contact offering to recover your money, especially on social media or messaging apps. (FBI IC3)
• Anyone claiming to be IC3 by phone, email, social media, chat or forums. (FBI IC3)
• A fee to get your money back, sometimes called a retainer, processing, tax or shipping charge. (FTC)
• A website that isn't www.ic3.gov, including “sponsored” search results with a different address, or one with low-quality graphics. (FBI IC3)
• A video that looks slightly off: distorted hands or faces, unnatural movement, odd shadows, lag, or a voice that doesn't match. (FBI IC3)
• Pressure and strong emotion. The FBI lists fear and urgency as red flags. (FBI IC3)
• Payment by gift card, crypto, wire or payment app. The FTC says anyone who tells you to pay that way is a scammer. (FTC)
• A refund check for more than you lost, with a request to send back the difference. (FTC)

What to do

1. Don't send money, gift cards or crypto, and don't click links from contacts you haven't verified. (FBI IC3)
2. Don't share personal or financial information with someone who reached out to you. (FTC)
3. Verify through official channels. The FBI says to check any suspicious contact through official channels or your local FBI field office. (FBI IC3) The FTC says to look up a government agency's number yourself, not use the one the contact gave you. (FTC)
4. File complaints only at www.ic3.gov, and type the address into your browser instead of searching for it. (FBI IC3)
5. Report the account that contacted you to the platform's safety or support team. (FBI IC3)
6. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. (FTC)

If you are 60 or older and need help filing, the FBI lists the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). (FBI IC3)

If you already paid or clicked

• Act quickly. The FTC says the sooner you contact your bank or payment provider, the better your chances of stopping or reversing a transaction. (FTC)
• Gather details for your report: the contact's name and profile, phone numbers, websites, emails, transaction records (dates, amounts, accounts, receiving addresses) and a description of what happened. (FBI IC3)
• Don't pay anyone else who says they can undo the loss. That's how the same scam repeats.

Common questions

Does the FBI contact people to help them get lost money back?

Not through social media, chat apps or random calls. The FBI says IC3 does not maintain a social media presence, does not investigate or recover funds through social platforms, and never asks for payment to recover lost funds. If IC3 needs more information, an FBI field office or another law enforcement officer will reach out.

How do I know I'm on the real IC3 website?

Type www.ic3.gov directly into your browser instead of using a search engine. The FBI says spoofed IC3 sites use look-alike addresses, including ones in “sponsored” search results.

I was scammed and someone offered to recover my money for a fee. Is that real?

The FTC says no legitimate organization or government agency asks you to pay upfront for refund or recovery help. Don't pay, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Related: the fake police “warrant for your arrest” call, another FBI-warned impersonation scam; how to report a scam text; and how to help a parent avoid phone scams.

Sources

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3 (PSA I-072026-PSA, July 20, 2026)
• FTC — Refund and recovery scams
• FTC — Have you lost money? Scam watch: scammers who say they can help (August 3, 2026)

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