Over the past two years (December 2023 – February 2025), the FBI received more than 100 reports of scammers using this tactics.
“Complainants report initial contact from the scammers can vary. Some individuals received an email or a phone call, while others were approached via social media or forums. Almost all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the victim’s lost funds or offered to assist in recovering funds. However, the claim is a ruse to revictimize those who have already lost money to scams,” – FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Recently, scammers created a number of female social media profiles and joined groups for financial fraud victims posing as such victims. They then encouraged other victims to contact some Jaime Quin, the alleged “Chief Director” of IC3, via Telegram. The fake Quin claims that the lost funds have been recovered, but, in reality, his sole goal is to gain access to financial information and revictimize the victims.
The FBI reminds: to protect yourself from such scams, you should neither share sensitive information with people you’ve just met online or over the phone, nor should you send them money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other financial assets.
IC3 officers never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, or public forums. They neither ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor refer a victim to a company charging fees for recovering funds.