The FBI warned on September 17, 2026 that scammers posing as police and government officials drew nearly 61,000 complaints and more than $1.6 billion in losses between January 2025 and July 2026. The public service announcement from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says some scammers now use artificial intelligence to appear as officials on video calls.

What changed

The alert pulls together 19 months of complaints. According to the IC3 announcement, the scripts vary but follow one pattern: an unsolicited call, text or email from a spoofed number or address, an accusation (missed jury duty, an expired license, a professional violation, a crime), and a threat of arrest or prosecution unless the target pays.

The FBI breaks out several variants:

  • Jury duty and court date scams: 6,833 complaints and about $36 million in losses.
  • Medical professionals targeted with license threats: 3,322 complaints and more than $37 million.
  • Foreign nationals, including international students: 1,809 complaints and more than $140 million.
  • License renewal scams: 496 complaints and more than $348,000.

The new element is the video call. The FBI says scammers use “new technologies, such as artificial intelligence” so they can appear as law enforcement or government officials on camera. The Register’s report on the alert notes that some also use fake uniforms and mock office sets.

What it means for you

A face on a video call is no longer proof of who someone is. The FBI’s rules still hold:

  • Police and government agencies will not call or text you to demand payment or personal information.
  • No real agency asks for payment by prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, cash at a crypto kiosk, bank wire or courier. The FBI lists all of these as the methods scammers demand.
  • Hang up and call the agency back on a number you find yourself, not one the caller gives you.
  • Check web addresses carefully. Scammers use domains that differ from official ones by a letter or two.
  • Pressure to stay on the line and keep the call secret is a warning sign in itself.

If you have already paid, the FBI advises you to stop contact, notify your bank, report to local police and file at ic3.gov with any numbers, receipts and messages you have. Our guide on what to do in the first hour after money is stolen walks through those steps.