FBI: 61,000 Impersonation Complaints and $1.6B in Losses

TL;DR: On September 17, 2026 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued an alert on law enforcement and government impersonation. From January 2025 to July 2026 it received nearly 61,000 complaints with losses above $1.6 billion. Jury duty scams drew 6,833 complaints, medical license threats 3,322, and extradition threats against foreign nationals 1,809.

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What the FBI announced

In a public service announcement dated September 17, 2026, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported nearly 61,000 complaints tied to people posing as law enforcement or government officials. Reported losses for January 2025 through July 2026 exceeded $1.6 billion.

The alert broke out four common variants:

Jury duty or court date scams: 6,833 complaints, about $36 million lost.
Medical license threats: 3,322 complaints, over $37 million lost.
Foreign national or extradition threats: 1,809 complaints, over $140 million lost.
License renewal scams: 496 complaints, over $348,000 lost.

The red flags the FBI listed

Unsolicited calls, texts or emails, often with spoofed official contact details.
Threats of arrest or of losing a professional license.
Demands for payment by prepaid card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or cash.
Pressure to keep the contact secret.
AI-generated video that makes a caller look like an official.

The FBI states that law enforcement and government authorities will never contact the public by phone or text to demand any form of payment.

How to protect yourself

Hang up, then look up the agency's number yourself on its official website and call that. Do not use a number or link the caller gave you. Tell a family member before you act on anything urgent, because secrecy is part of the script. Our guide to social security impersonation calls shows how the same pattern works with a different agency name, and grandparent scams versus digital arrest covers the family-emergency version.

If you are older or help an older relative, how to protect elderly parents from phone scams lists practical steps, and elder fraud statistics for 2026 puts the wider losses in context.

Where to report

File a complaint at FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), contact local law enforcement, and tell your financial institution right away if money has moved. For a walkthrough of the form, read how to report a scam to the IC3. Reports also help investigators connect cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints did the FBI report?

Nearly 61,000 complaints between January 2025 and July 2026, with losses of more than $1.6 billion, according to the FBI's September 17, 2026 alert.

Will the FBI or police ever ask for payment by phone?

No. The FBI says law enforcement and government authorities will never contact the public by phone or text to demand payment of any kind.

Which impersonation variants did the alert single out?

Jury duty or court date threats, medical license threats, extradition threats aimed at foreign nationals, and license renewal scams.

Where do I report an impersonation scam?

Report it at ic3.gov, to local law enforcement, and to your financial institution if you sent money.

FBI Reports Nearly 61,000 Law Enforcement Impersonation Complaints and More Than $1.6 Billion in Losses