By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The FBI is warning that criminals are impersonating the agency’s online scam reporting portal in an effort to target people who have already been victimized by fraud.
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The Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3.gov, is the official website where the public reports scams, identity theft and other internet crimes. Now, scammers are impersonating IC3 employees and creating look-alike versions of the site to collect money or personal information from people who believe they’ve filed a legitimate complaint.
“People are revictimizing people that were already victimized,” said the FBI’s Troy Cofer.
The FBI says artificial intelligence is driving much of the scheme. Criminals are using AI to produce fake videos, official-looking letterhead and spoofed websites that appear in regular internet searches.
Cofer said IC3 operates as a one-way intake system and does not contact complainants directly.
“IC3 is a one-way street. It’s only an intake. They don’t reach out via social media. They don’t email individuals. Any of those separate communications, they’ll send it to a local FBI field office, and then we would be the ones reaching out,” he said.
One common warning sign is a promise that lost money has been recovered. The real IC3.gov will never contact a victim to say funds have been retrieved.
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Cofer also cautioned against video messages that appear to come from high-ranking government or law enforcement officials.
“If a high-level individual from the government or law enforcement agency is supposedly sending you a video and telling you to do something with your funds, or instructing you to do something, that is not the typical policy, procedure that law enforcement does at all,” Cofer explained.
“They’re not going to reach out to you through social media, through Facebook or any other social media websites or call you directly. If that happens, that likely is a scam trying to double dip and try and get more information or potentially more money from you,” he added.
The FBI says the government will never ask anyone to move money or demand payment over the phone, email or text. Anyone who encounters a spoofed site should report it to the real IC3.gov.
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