- Scammers pretend to offer FBI support to victims
- Victims become double victims after falling for this trap
- FBI’s IC3 warns never to pay for support – support will come from law enforcement
Fraudsters are increasingly impersonating FBI personnel and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to defraud people who have already lost money to cybercrime, ultimately leading to them being exploited twice in quick succession by exploiting their weaknesses.
Attackers pose as support to recover lost money and help with IC3 complaints, but the real goal is to scam victims out of even more money or sensitive information.
But savvy victims should be able to identify these scams relatively easily, because despite a growing volume, the attack vector remains highly suspicious.
Victims are being hit twice via bogus FBI scams
Instead of targeting the FBI’s website, scammers send direct messages to victims or attract them through posts or ads on social media. “Some individuals received an email or phone call, while others were contacted via social media or forums,” the FBI explained.
In the post, the FBI warns that attackers meet victims where they are, such as on Facebook, then quickly move them away to other, more secure channels like Telegram and connect them with other employees.
“IC3 will not ask for payment to recover lost funds,” the agency warned, noting that victims should be weary of being contacted after reporting an attack. “If additional information is needed, individuals will be contacted by FBI agents from local field offices or other law enforcement agencies.”
Victims who have either been attacked once or attacked a second time while trying to report the first attack should report it through www.ic3.gov. The DOJ Elder Justice Hotline (1-833-FRAUD-11) also offers support for citizens age 60+.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds.
