FBI warns of AI being used to impersonate police officers on video calls

On September 17, 2026, the FBI renewed its warning about scammers using AI to impersonate police officers or government officials on video calls. In its alert for the American public, the agency explains that these technologies lend an appearance of legitimacy to impersonation schemes aimed at obtaining money or personal data.

Between January 2025 and July 2026, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, received nearly 61,000 complaints about the impersonation of police officers or government officials, with more than $1.6 billion in reported losses. These figures cover all cases of impersonating authorities reported to IC3, without a breakdown of AI use.

The technique had already appeared in the FBI’s December 3, 2024, alert on fraud facilitated by generative AI. Its section on videos mentioned real-time conversations with purported police officers or executives. The September 2026 publication renews this warning and provides more recent figures on the impersonation of authorities.

Scammers combine authority with threats

The FBI describes approaches that generally begin with an unexpected call, sometimes with a message or email. Scammers spoof phone numbers, email addresses and officers’ identities, then accuse the person they contact of a violation or crime. Threats of arrest and pressure to act immediately are intended to provoke a response before any verification takes place.

The agency cites medical practitioners pressured to pay under threat of losing their professional licenses. Foreign nationals, international students or members of ethnic communities in the United States may be threatened with extradition or passport cancellation.

Fake uniforms and fabricated backdrops depicting official buildings can reinforce the deception. The appearance of authority on screen makes the claimed identity more credible, while demands for secrecy seek to prevent independent verification. Video thus becomes part of a scenario in which the person is pressured to act without consulting anyone else.

The consequences of fraud can persist after the financial loss. An AP/FRONTLINE investigation published on September 3, 2026, based on interviews with 58 victims of various online scams, describes loneliness, stigma and debt, among other effects, as well as difficulties in seeking redress. These accounts shed light on the social aftermath of several types of fraud.

Verify identity through an independent contact

The FBI recommends ending the interaction, then verifying the caller’s identity and credentials with the organization they claim to represent. Publicly available official contact details must be found independently, without using the number or link provided by the caller.

The agency advises against sharing any personal data before this verification. In its recommendations to the American public, it cites requests for payment by prepaid cards, cryptocurrencies or courier as signs of a scam. The caller’s identity still needs to be verified regardless of the payment method requested.

If a payment has already been sent, the FBI advises ending contact and promptly notifying your bank or the financial institutions concerned. It recommends keeping communications and proof of payment, then reporting the incident to local police and filing a complaint with IC3.