Where do I report an AI or deepfake scam to the FBI?

Through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or a local FBI field office. The FBI asks for contact details of the scammer, payment information and a description of the interaction.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. It has received cybercrime complaints since 2000, refers them to law enforcement and publishes public service announcements on new fraud schemes.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the main federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence agency of the United States, part of the Department of Justice and headquartered in Washington, D.C.

A large concrete office building with rows of square windows behind a line of green trees on a sunny day. — FBI warns scammers use AI voices and images to impersonate candidates before the 2026 midterms

Cybersecurity15 Oct 2026, 09:00 UTC

The FBI warned on 15 October 2026 that scammers use AI-generated voices, images and messages to impersonate candidates and campaigns ahead of the US midterms.

Summary

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a public service announcement on 15 October 2026 warning that scammers will exploit the US midterm elections. It says criminals use AI tools to generate realistic voices, images and messages that impersonate candidates, campaigns, government bodies and trusted contacts. Named schemes include fake campaign investment pools, scam PACs, non-delivered merchandise and fake voter registration pages. A 16 October alert adds that deepfake video and audio support phishing of election officials.

About FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the main federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence agency of the United States, part of the Department of Justice and headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) collects cybercrime complaints and issues public service announcements, including warnings about AI-generated voice, image and video fraud.

Reviewed 28 Oct 2026

Facts at a glance

Type: US federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Justice
Founded: 1908, as a force of special agents of the Department of Justice source
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Field structure: 55 field offices, more than 350 resident agencies and more than 60 legal attaché offices abroad source
Cybercrime reporting: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), receiving complaints since 2000 source
Public alerts: Public service announcements published at ic3.gov/PSA source

Questions people ask

Where do I report an AI or deepfake scam to the FBI?: Through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or a local FBI field office. The FBI asks for contact details of the scammer, payment information and a description of the interaction.
What is IC3?: The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. It has received cybercrime complaints since 2000, refers them to law enforcement and publishes public service announcements on new fraud schemes.

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FBI warns scammers use AI voices and images to impersonate candidates before the 2026 midterms