FBI warns of fake cop scams costing victims $1.6 billion

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has reported that scammers impersonating law enforcement and government officials have defrauded victims of approximately $1.6 billion between January 2025 and July 2026. With nearly 61,000 complaints filed, the scams often target foreign nationals and international students through threats of visa cancellation or deportation. Criminals have gone to extreme lengths, including creating fake studio sets and wearing uniforms to appear authentic during video calls. Victims lose an average of $26,000 per incident. The FBI advises the public to remain calm, demand and verify credentials, and remember that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never demand payment over the phone. These sophisticated social engineering tactics rely on inducing panic to bypass critical thinking. Authorities emphasize that verifying the identity of any official caller is essential to preventing financial loss in this growing international criminal phenomenon.