{
  "id": 8275347,
  "title": "FBI: Fake cop and government impersonation scams cost victims $1.6B",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/fbi-fake-cop-and-government-impersonation-scams-cost-victims-1-6b-8275347",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T16:19:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/cyber-crime/2026/09/18/fbi-fake-cop-and-government-impersonation-scams-cost-victims-16b/5297499"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "From January 2025 to July 2026, more than $1.6 billion in losses have been reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) due to fake cop and government impersonation scams. The average loss per complaint is over $26,000, with 61,000 complaints received by the IC3 during this period. Scammers typically impersonate law enforcement or government officials via unsolicited phone calls, claiming the target has committed a crime or missed a court date, and threaten consequences such as arrest or prison if payment isn't made. This type of scam accounts for about 11% of complaints, with 6,833 complaints resulting in nearly $36 million in losses.\n\nA more targeted approach involves scammers conducting due diligence on their victims, such as determining their profession, and tailoring the scam to their job. Medical practitioners, for example, have been targeted with claims about their medical license expiring or being used in a crime, with losses exceeding $37 million. Less common is the scam involving the renewal of driver's licenses or passports, which caused $348,000 in losses in 496 cases.\n\nThe IC3 also reported a more elaborate tactic involving Americans, foreign nationals, and international students in the US, where scammers impersonate foreign law enforcement or US-based foreign diplomatic officials, threatening to cancel passports or extradite the victim. This tactic accounted for nearly 10% of overall losses, with 1,809 complaints resulting in over $140 million in losses. These scams sometimes involve video calls, with criminals donning law enforcement uniforms or using movie-style sets to mimic real government facilities.\n\nLaw enforcement impersonation scams are common worldwide, with the Netherlands seeing a surge in fake police officer scams, particularly targeting the elderly population. The FBI advises the public not to give personal or sensitive information to callers claiming to be law enforcement and to verify the identity of the caller independently.",
  "summary": "AI, fake uniforms, and mock offices help crooks sell the con",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "FBI: Fake cop and government impersonation scams cost victims $1.6B",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/fbi-fake-cop-and-government-impersonation-scams-cost-victims-1-6b",
        "published": "2026-09-18T16:19:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}