Cyberattack Impersonates FBI Internet Crime Complaint CenterCyberattack Impersonates FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Threat actors trick victims into sharing personal information with fake IC3 messages laced with malware.

February 2, 2018

1 Min Read

A new cyberattack scams people into providing personal data and downloading malicious files by impersonating the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a division of the FBI intended to give the public a reliable means of reporting suspected illegal activity online.

The unknown threat actors emailed targets requesting information so they could be paid restitution. To make their messages seem legitimate, they added hyperlinks of news articles reporting on the arrest of Internet fraudsters. Targets received text documents, which contained malware, to download, fill out, and return to the attackers.

Experts have identified three other versions of the IC3 scam. One involves a fake IC3 social media page requesting personal data to report Internet crime. Another arrives as an email stating that the recipient's name was found in a corporate database and they can be compensated for unfair treatment. The third, an email from the Internet Crime Investigation Center/Cyber Division, claims the recipient's IP address is a possible victim of cybercrime.

The IC3 reports anyone who thinks they've been the victim of Internet crime should file a complaint on its official website.