The FBI has issued an urgent alert warning that cybercriminals are creating fake versions of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website to steal personal and financial information from victims.
These spoofed sites closely mimic the official www.ic3.gov portal, copying its layout, text and graphics to trick users into submitting names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and even banking details. Recent scans highlighted fraudulent domains such as «ichelpindex.com», which appear in search results and sponsored ads.
According to the FBI, scammers lure victims through search engines and online forums, sometimes posing as fellow victims recommending fake IC3 «recovery services.» In some cases, fraudsters impersonate IC3 staff on platforms like Telegram, promising to recover lost funds while instead collecting more data for account takeovers.
More than 100 impersonation cases were reported between late 2023 and early 2025, with a surge in fake websites prompting multiple public service announcements this year.
Security researchers note that the fraudulent pages often replicate IC3’s welcome message and complaint forms but use non-.gov domains, misspellings, and low-quality graphics.
The FBI reminds the public that the real IC3 site ends in .gov, does not charge fees, and has no social media accounts. Users are urged to type www.ic3.gov directly into their browsers, avoid sponsored links, and never share sensitive information on unverified websites.
Officials warn that vigilance is essential as scammers increasingly target people already victimized by online fraud.
