Friday, November 13, 2026 Official warnings, in plain English

Cyber Safety Today

Is this real? · Texts and calls

Is that offer to get back money you lost to a scam real?

The short answer

If they ask for a fee or your financial details to get your money back, the FTC says they are a scammer. The FBI says its complaint center never contacts people or charges to recover funds. To check whether a refund is real, contact the agency yourself, using contact details you look up.

Official warning dated August 3, 2026Published November 13, 2026Checked against sources November 13, 2026Written by software from the sources listed

You, or someone in your family, lost money to a scam. Now someone gets in touch and says they can get it back. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who have already been scammed, hoping to scam them again.1

They may say they are with a government agency, a consumer group or a law firm. The FTC says it is all a lie.1 They may even pretend to be with the company that took your money in the first place.2 Then they ask for a “retainer fee,” “processing fee” or “administrative charge,” or for your financial information so they can supposedly deposit the refund.1

Some pretend to be the FBI. In a notice dated July 20, 2026, the FBI warned that scammers are posing as its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by email, phone, social media and ads. Some people saw videos made with artificial intelligence, showing a senior FBI leader telling viewers to file complaints on a fake IC3 website.4

This is an example of what such a message might say, based on what the two agencies describe:

The messageAn example of the pattern, not a real message

We are a recovery service working with federal investigators. We have located the money you lost. To release your refund, pay a processing fee today and send us your bank account number for the deposit.

How to tell

  • They contacted you first. The scammer may call, email, text, send a letter or reach you on social media.2 The FBI says IC3 will never contact people by phone, email, social media, phone apps, online chat or public forums. If more information is needed, you will hear from FBI employees at a local field office or other law enforcement officers.4
  • They want money up front. The FTC says neither government agencies nor real organizations will ever ask for money in exchange for help getting a refund.1 The FBI says IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds, and will never send you to a company that charges for recovery.4
  • They want your account numbers. Agencies and real organizations will never ask for your financial account numbers or other personal information to help you get a refund.2
  • They want an unusual payment. Watch for anyone who wants cash, a gift card, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer or a payment app.2
  • It is a social media page. The FBI says any social media page that claims to be IC3 or offers to recover lost money is fake.4

What to do

  1. Do not pay anyone who says they can recover your lost money for a fee, and do not give your bank account or other financial information.1
  2. Check whether a refund is real. If they say they are from a government agency, look up that agency’s contact information on your own and contact it to confirm. Do not use any number they give you.1
  3. Do not tap links in the message. To reach IC3, type www.ic3.gov into your browser’s address bar. If you use a search engine, skip “sponsored” results and check that the address ends in .gov and reads exactly www.ic3.gov.4
  4. Research anyone who contacts you about a refund. Search online for their name plus words like “complaint,” “scam” or “review.”1

If you already paid

  1. Act quickly. The FTC says the sooner you act, the better.2
  2. If you paid by credit or debit card, report it to your card issuer or bank right away and ask for a refund. Use the number on the back of the card, or log in to your account or app.3
  3. If you used a payment app or a wire transfer company, report it to that company right away. Tell them a scammer tricked you and ask them to reverse the payment or refund your money.3
  4. If you gave your Social Security number and it was used, go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a recovery plan. If it was not used or you are not sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.3

Where to report it

  • The FTC. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to your state attorney general.1
  • The FBI. File a complaint at the real www.ic3.gov. Include who contacted you, the websites, emails and phone numbers used, and the date, type and amount of any payment.4
  • Help for people 60 and over. If you need help filing an IC3 complaint, call the Department of Justice Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).4