According to a public service announcement from the FBI, there has been a rise in the number of cybercriminals impersonating the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – the very place internet users go to report cybercriminals. In the announcement, the agency warns users not to accidentally visit impersonation sites, which are likely being used to carry out “illegal conduct, such as personal information theft and… monetary scams.”

About the impersonators

While the FBI did not list specific websites to avoid in the announcement, it stated that multiple impersonation sites exist, including one that features the same notice as the legitimate IC3 site, which warns users about scammers impersonating IC3! The IC3 homepage notice states:

“The IC3 does not work with any non-law enforcement entity, such as law firms or crypto services, to recuperate lost funds or investigate cases. The IC3 will never directly contact you for information or money… If you are approached by someone impersonating or claiming to work with IC3 or find a website impersonating the IC3, please file a complaint with the information.”

Users that attempt to report a cybercrime on fraudulent IC3 sites may have their personal information stolen, as the FBI shared:

“Threat actors create spoofed websites often by slightly altering characteristics of legitimate website domains, with the purpose of gathering personally identifiable information entered by a user into the site, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and banking information.”

Recognizing imposters

With the vast array of digital and website-building tools now available, it is easier than ever for cybercriminals to prey on vulnerable internet users, and recognizing fraudulent sites is only getting more difficult. Here are some tips to stay safe while browsing:

1. If you know the website you are going to, type it into your web browser bar directly, not into a search engine. This will keep you from clicking on impersonator links that may pop up in Google, Bing, etc.
2. If you do use a search engine, avoid clicking on “sponsored” links, as these may be impersonators trying to get to the top of the results page.
3. Carefully check the spelling of the link. Impersonators will often use domain addresses that are only a letter off or have a different top-level domain – (for example: “.com” instead of “.gov”) – than the site you’re trying to reach.
4. If something looks questionable, it probably is. Keep an eye out for low-quality graphics and misspelled words – these are often indicators of copycat sites.
5. Do not share any personal information on a site if you are uncertain about its authenticity.

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