The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released an urgent advisory warning the public about a rising trend in impersonation scams targeting individuals who have already fallen victim to cryptocurrency fraud.
According to reports from PANews, cybercriminals are posing as reputable law firms, government agencies, and other official entities. They approach victims with false promises of recovering stolen digital assets, creating a convincing facade of legitimacy.
The scam typically follows a pattern: the fraudsters claim to have located the victim’s lost funds, but require an upfront “service fee” to process the recovery. This payment is often requested in cryptocurrency or gift cards — a clear red flag, as genuine government bodies and legal institutions never demand such forms of payment.
The FBI advises individuals to exercise extreme caution, verify the authenticity of any recovery offers, and avoid sending payments to unsolicited contacts. For those who suspect they’ve been targeted, immediate reporting to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is strongly recommended.
This warning serves as a reminder that, in the digital asset space, secondary scams can often be more deceptive than the initial fraud itself.