FBI warns of law enforcement impersonation scams

The FBI has issued a warning regarding scammers impersonating law enforcement officers and government officials to steal money and personal information. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), nearly 61,000 complaints of this nature were reported between January 2025 and July 2026, resulting in total losses exceeding $1.6 billion.

Fraudsters utilize several tactics to deceive victims. The most common method involves accusing individuals of criminal activity and threatening arrest or prosecution unless a payment is made to remove the charges. Other prevalent schemes include:

• Jury Duty Scams: Scammers claim a target failed to report for jury duty or missed a court date, threatening fines or arrest warrants to solicit payments. These complaints accounted for nearly $36 million in losses.

• License Renewal Scams: Fraudsters claim a driver’s license, passport, or professional license is expiring and demand immediate payment for renewal.

• Diplomatic Impersonation: Scammers may pose as foreign diplomatic officials or law enforcement to target international students and foreign nationals, often using threats of extradition or passport cancellation.