The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a new Public Service Announcement warning that cybercriminals are spoofing the official Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website to steal sensitive data and defraud unsuspecting visitors.
The spoofed sites are deliberately designed to resemble the official IC3 portal, often with nearly identical layouts and altered domain names that deceive users attempting to report cybercrime.
Spoofed IC3 Websites Mimic Government Domains
According to the FBI, spoofed websites are frequently crafted through subtle variations, such as misspelled words, intentional typos, or the use of alternative top-level domains like “.com” or “.org” in place of the legitimate “.gov.”
These minor alterations create convincing imitations of government resources and are weaponized to harvest personally identifiable information (PII).
Victims who unknowingly engage with these fraudulent portals risk exposing sensitive details, including their full name, phone number, home address, email account, and in some cases, financial or banking credentials.
The FBI noted that cybercriminals leverage such information for identity theft, financial fraud, and in more advanced scenarios, to facilitate wire transfer scams or cryptocurrency theft.
The growing sophistication of these spoof campaigns highlights how attackers exploit public trust in government websites.
Unwary individuals searching “IC3 report” on popular search engines may be misdirected to sponsored ads or manipulated search results that point to impersonator websites claiming to represent the FBI.
FBI Guidance for Safe Reporting
The FBI emphasized that the only legitimate IC3 website is located at www.ic3.gov and confirmed that the IC3 does not operate any social media accounts.
To minimize risks, the bureau advises typing the URL directly into a browser’s address bar rather than relying on search engines to access it. Users are further cautioned against clicking suspicious or low-quality graphics, banners, or ads that mimic the FBI’s imagery.
Critical red flags for spoofed websites include incorrect domain endings, design inconsistencies, and prompts requesting victims to pay money in exchange for “recovering lost funds.”
The FBI stressed that IC3 will never request payment at any point, nor will it refer victims to third-party companies offering recovery services.
The bureau is urging the public to report any fraudulent interactions directly through the authentic www.ic3.gov portal.
Complaints should include information about the impersonating site, communication methods used by the perpetrators, and details of any financial losses, including payment type, transaction amounts, and cryptocurrency wallet addresses if applicable.
This latest advisory adds to previous FBI warnings about impersonation campaigns that target victims through law enforcement scam calls, fraudulent tech-support schemes, and fake government communication channels.
With spoofing attacks continuing to escalate, the FBI reiterated the importance of vigilance and direct navigation when reporting crimes online.
Find this Story Interesting! Follow us on Google News , LinkedIn and X to Get More Instant Updates
 has issued a new Public Service Announcement warning that cybercriminals.){kind=link}