FBI Warns of Fake Crime Reporting Sites Used in Cybercrime Scams

Scammers are creating unauthorized websites that mirror the FBI’s crime reporting website. The actual website referenced is the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), However, scammers are imitating this website design in order to mislead people.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Individuals visit the site to report crimes, but provide information to criminals instead.

How does the scam work?​

The unauthorized website looks very similar to the real site. They use names that are similar to the real web address. The real website is: ic3.gov, scam artists just take one or two letters away from this.

• Changing one letter
• Using “.com” instead of “.gov”
• Making the name look very close but not exact

People enter these fake sites and are asked to provide:

• Their name and address
• Phone number and email
• Bank details or payment information

Once the attackers get this information, they are able to withdraw money or use the information for scams.

Why it’s a danger​

People have confidence in the FBI, so when you see a website that looks like the FBI, there is no doubt that most people, without thinking, will provide their personal details – this is how this scam works with high success.

Many people have fallen victim to these kinds of scams. Some people lost personal information, and some lost money, as well.

How to be safe​

Here are some easy steps to protect yourself:

• Type the web address yourself. Use only ic3.gov.
• Check the ending. If it does not say .gov - do not trust it.
• Don’t be in a rush. If something does not feel right, stop yourself before providing your information.
• Never pay. The FBI isn't going to require any gift cards, crypto, or money to "retrieve funds."

The takeaway

• According to the FBI criminals are hosting fake IC3 sites.
• They are stealing personal information and money.
• ic3.gov is the only safe site.

If you are reporting a crime online be sure to google the correct address and be careful. Better to take a couple of extra minutes than become a victim.