Technology Miraj Islam September 23, 2026 0 Comments

FBI Says Fake Police Scams Cost Victims Billions – Here’s What to Watch Out for

Scammers impersonating police and government officials have claimed $1.6 billion
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received almost 61,000 reports related to these types of scams between January 2025 and July 2026.
Some scams targeted foreign citizens and immigrants, threatening to cancel passports or impose extradition unless payment was made.

Between January 2025 and July 2026, the FBI’s Internet Crime Reporting Center received nearly 61,000 reports of scams involving impersonation tactics of law enforcement and government officials. As a result, around $1.6 billion is believed to have been defrauded and extorted.

Tactics used by scammers included unsolicited phone calls and, in some cases, video calls, and victims lost an average of $26,000 per scam.

Particularly concerning is the targeting of foreign nationals, international students, and immigrant citizens, often with threats to cancel visas and passports from their home countries. Incredibly, 10% of all losses were attributed to a single scam, targeting less than 3% of victims.

Foreign victims

According to the FBI, the fake cop/fake government official scam has several angles, from claiming lack of jury duty to threatening arrest due to circumstantial ties to an alleged crime.

The scammers’ demand, inevitably, is payment.

By engaging in extreme scams and extortion, criminals took things to a new level when it came to targeting victims. International students, visiting foreigners, and other immigrant citizens received special treatment. Not only were they threatened with extradition, but there was also the implication that the victims would lose their passport from their country of origin.

To convince the target, the scammers built real studios, donned uniforms or suits and appeared on video calls with victims, who were convinced they were speaking to foreign law enforcement officials or diplomats based in the United States. Creating the illusion that the bureaucracy was selling the scam, victims paid what was necessary to remain in their adopted country.

How to spot the scam

It is important to note that not all frauds of this type occur in the US. These can be online or offline, but the so-called fake cop scam is an international criminal phenomenon. So how can it be avoided?

We’ll assume you inadvertently answered a call instead of blocking unwanted calls (that should already be configured).

First, stay calm. These situations are designed to impose stress and increased anxiety. Scammers rely on these factors to cloud their victims’ judgment and force the narrative they are selling (“you failed jury duty”/“your presence in the country is illegal”).

Second, it is vital to request credentials. Failure to provide them is the first warning sign that the person contacting you is not what they seem. That’s your cue to end the conversation.

Third, check the credentials. It doesn’t matter how long it takes: a legitimate caller won’t mind waiting for you to run the necessary background check, even if it means getting a call back.

Finally, and most importantly: neither law enforcement, security services nor the FBI will demand money. If that happens, it’s time to end the call.