The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to inform the public of an emerging criminal tactic used to further defraud cryptocurrency scam victims. This PSA is an update to Alert Number I-081123-PSA, published on August 11, 2023, titled, Increase in Companies Falsely Claiming an Ability to Recover Funds Lost in Cryptocurrency Investment Scams.

Using social media or other messaging platforms, fraudsters posing as lawyers representing fictitious law firms may contact scam victims and offer their services, claiming to have the authorization to investigate fund recovery cases. To validate the contact, the lawyers claim they are working with, or have received information on, the scam victim’s case from the FBI, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or other government agencies. In some instances, scam victims have contacted fraudsters on fake websites, which appear legitimate, hoping to recover their funds.

This PSA contains tips to protect yourself, additional resources, and is being provided to assist agencies, organizations, and individuals in guarding against the persistent malicious actions of cybercriminals.

Reporting
The NJCCIC encourages recipients who discover signs of malicious cyber activity to contact the NJCCIC via the cyber incident report form at  www.cyber.nj.gov/report.