It’s bad enough to fall victim to a scam once, but now criminals are trying to sting you again and again.
According to the FBI, the latest is an impersonation scam where bad actors try to pass themselves off as representatives of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). They’ll tell you they’ve recovered your lost funds, but this is only a ruse.
The FBI has received more than 100 complaints of impersonation scams during a 15-month period.
What makes this more nefarious is that the scammers intend to add pain to those already impacted.
What are Impersonation Scams?
Here’s how an impersonation scam works: the criminal makes initial contact with a phone call, an email or through social media and claim to have recovered the funds. They’ll also use popular forums, where people share their experience, and create a fake victim who will tell how a specific agent helped them get their money back. All you have to do is contact them for help.
Of course, they’re sending you to someone who’s part of the impersonation scam.
“Fraudsters often utilize the ‘trusted partner’ or ‘imposter’ scam to convince victims to share their personal credentials and information,” said Jeff Taylor, head of Commercial Fraud Forensics at Regions Bank. “Make sure you validate a request before responding.”
Fraudsters often utilize the ‘trusted partner’ or ‘imposter’ scam to convince victims to share their personal credentials and information.
Jeff Taylor, head of Commercial Fraud Forensics at Regions Bank
FBI Tips to Protect You from Impersonation Scams
- The IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps or public forums. If further information is needed, individuals will be contacted by FBI employees from local field offices or other law enforcement officers.
- Scammers will change aliases and tactics; however, the scheme generally remains the same.
- Never share sensitive information with people you have met only online or over the phone.
- The IC3 will not ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor will they refer a victim to a company requesting payment for recovering funds.
- Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or other assets to people you do not know or have met only online or over the phone.
The FBI requests victims immediately report fraudulent or suspicious activity to the FBI IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
- Identifying information about the person or company that contacted you.
- Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
- Financial transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount, account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial institution and receiving cryptocurrency addresses.
- Description of your interaction with the individual, including how contact was initiated, such as the type of communication, purpose of the request for money, how you were told or instructed to make payment, what information you provided to the scammer, and any other details pertinent to your complaint.
- Victims aged 60 or over who need assistance filing an IC3 complaint can contact the Department of Justice Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311).
Additional Resources from Regions.com
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The information presented is general in nature and should not be considered, legal, accounting or tax advice. Regions reminds its customers that they should be vigilant about fraud and security and that they are responsible for taking action to protect their computer systems. Fraud prevention requires a continuous review of your policies and practices, as the threat evolves daily. There is no guarantee that all fraudulent transactions will be prevented or that related financial losses will not occur. Visit regions.com/STOPFRAUD or speak with your Banker for further information on how you can help prevent fraud.