What are the red flags of this scam?

Real federal law enforcement will never contact you via unsolicited video call demanding money • The 'officer' insists you stay on the call and not tell family members — isolation is a core scam tactic • They display a badge, uniform, or virtual government-office background on video — all fake • The call may transfer between multiple 'officers,' 'supervisors,' and 'prosecutors' to create authenticity • They demand a wire transfer or cryptocurrency 'settlement' to close the investigation quietly • May use AI deepfake technology to show the face of a real-looking officer

What should I do if this happened to me?

End the call immediately — no government agency conducts arrests or investigations over video call • Tell a trusted family member or friend right away; the instruction to stay silent is itself the scam • Do not transfer money under any circumstances — no agency settles criminal charges over the phone or video • If you believe you are genuinely under investigation, consult a licensed attorney before making any payments • Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

CRITICAL government impersonation Last reported: Oct 24, 2026 Share

FBI agent or federal prosecutor video call holds you "digitally captive" for hours

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Scammers impersonating FBI agents or federal prosecutors initiate a video call and hold you "captive" for hours, threatening criminal charges, while displaying fake badges and virtual government office backgrounds.

Scammers impersonating FBI agents or federal prosecutors initiate a video call and hold you "captive" for hours, threatening criminal charges, while displaying fake badges and virtual government office backgrounds.

Also known as: digital captivity scam, FBI impersonation video call scam, fake federal agent video call, digital arrest scam US

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 End the call immediately — no government agency conducts arrests or investigations over video call
2 Tell a trusted family member or friend right away; the instruction to stay silent is itself the scam
3 Do not transfer money under any circumstances — no agency settles criminal charges over the phone or video
4 If you believe you are genuinely under investigation, consult a licensed attorney before making any payments
5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

Red flags

⚠ Real federal law enforcement will never contact you via unsolicited video call demanding money
⚠ The 'officer' insists you stay on the call and not tell family members — isolation is a core scam tactic
⚠ They display a badge, uniform, or virtual government-office background on video — all fake
⚠ The call may transfer between multiple 'officers,' 'supervisors,' and 'prosecutors' to create authenticity
⚠ They demand a wire transfer or cryptocurrency 'settlement' to close the investigation quietly
⚠ May use AI deepfake technology to show the face of a real-looking officer

Known variants

Caller uses a real federal agent's name from public records plus a spoofed field-office number. A verification call to the office only confirms the person exists — not that they called. Scammer may also stage a video call with a fake FBI-office background. FBI Newark Oct 2026 warning.

Last seen: 10/24/2026
Scammer poses as a DEA agent, state medical board investigator, or federal prosecutor and calls a physician, nurse, or pharmacist — threatens license revocation over 'criminal activity' and demands immediate payment to close the case or protect their professional record.

Last seen: 9/19/2026
Scammer calls claiming to be from a company, then transfers to a 'US Marshal' or 'FBI agent' who texts an AI-generated badge photo to 'prove' identity — victim wires money believing the badge is real

Last seen: 7/12/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources