The FBI has issued a warning about a sophisticated scam that uses the names of real federal agents and spoofed government phone numbers, making it challenging for potential victims to discern legitimate calls from fraudulent ones. This evolving scheme has already resulted in losses exceeding $1.6 billion, according to the agency.
In an alert released by the FBI's Newark office on September 29, authorities described a "new twist" on a long-standing impersonation fraud. Scammers are posing as agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Secret Service. They employ tactics that make their calls appear authentic, including using spoofed phone numbers that match official agency lines and referencing the names of actual federal agents.
The most insidious aspect of this scam, as noted by the FBI, is its ability to bypass verification efforts. When victims, suspicious of a call, attempt to contact the purported agency's field office to confirm the agent's identity, staff may verify that the named agent indeed works there. This confirmation can create a false sense of security, as it does not validate whether that specific agent made the original call.
Scammers typically accuse victims of involvement in a crime and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest or prosecution. In some instances, perpetrators have staged elaborate video calls to mimic an FBI office environment, complete with office settings, an FBI seal, and individuals in suits.
The FBI urges the public to "never send money to anyone claiming to be a federal law enforcement agent." To verify the authenticity of a call, the agency advises individuals to hang up and independently look up the agency's phone number. If unable to reach someone at a local field office to confirm details, the FBI suggests contacting its main office in Washington D.C.
An earlier FBI notice, dated September 17, reported that the agency had received nearly 61,000 complaints related to this impersonation scam between January 2025 and July 2026. The total financial losses reported in these cases surpassed $1.6 billion.
These fraudulent callers often use urgent or aggressive language and may insist on speaking only with the intended victim. They might pressure victims to maintain secrecy about the call from friends, family, banks, or law enforcement. Payment is frequently demanded through methods such as prepaid cards, couriers, bank wires, cryptocurrency, or cash inserted into cryptocurrency kiosks.
Additionally, scammers have been known to inform victims that their passports, driver's licenses, or professional licenses are expiring and demand payment for renewal. The FBI also highlighted that these scams can target specific demographics, including foreign nationals or international students in the U.S., with perpetrators impersonating foreign law enforcement or diplomatic officials to threaten victims with extradition or the cancellation of their home country passports.