Daily brief — November 2, 2026

Election-Week Scam Surge: Fake FTC Agents, Fake IC3 "Recovery," Fake Ballots

With midterms days away, government-impersonation calls and fake FBI/IC3 "recovery" outreach are hitting American phones and inboxes — here's what AVASC and federal regulators are seeing right now.

Published November 2, 2026

Key points

New FTC-flagged scam: fake 'FTC agents' claim your phone number is tied to overseas fraud and threaten to deactivate it unless you pay — this is always a scam.
The FBI and CISA are actively warning that election-themed scams (fake campaign donations, fake PACs, bogus voter-registration texts, merchandise that never ships) are circulating ahead of the midterms.
Past scam victims are being re-targeted by people impersonating FBI/IC3 'recovery agents,' sometimes using AI deepfake videos and spoofed IC3 look-alike websites.
Government-impersonation fraud remains the costliest reported category, with FBI figures showing nearly $1.6 billion in reported losses in 18 months and separate FTC data citing $3.5 billion in 2025 imposter-fraud losses overall.
AVASC's own case data aligns closely with federal reporting on all three fronts: government imposters, AI-enabled recovery scams, and opportunistic timing around major public events.

New twist: fake "FTC agents" threaten to deactivate your phone

The FTC is warning about a new variation of an old scam: a caller claiming to be an FTC agent says a phone number registered in your name is being used to commit fraud overseas, then threatens to deactivate the number or transfers the call to a fake "police officer" who pressures the victim into paying a security deposit. Federal regulators are raising the alarm over a sophisticated new variation of government imposter fraud that tricks victims into handing over thousands of dollars by claiming their personal phone numbers were used in international criminal schemes. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said "Every day we hear from consumers who've gotten calls from someone pretending to be the Federal Trade Commission... Unfortunately, many of them report losing money to these imposters."

The stakes are large: government impersonation schemes remain among the most financially devastating types of fraud in the United States, and Americans lost approximately $920 million to government imposter scams last year alone. Separately, Bank of America's newest consumer alert notes FTC data showing consumers reported losing over $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025 alone. This squarely matches what AVASC's database has logged all summer: callers posing as IRS/SSA/FTC/police who threaten arrest or frozen accounts and demand immediate gift-card, wire, or crypto payment.

Breaking: FBI warns midterm-election scams are active now

With the U.S. midterms days away, the FBI and CISA issued updated PSAs this month warning that scammers could exploit the 2026 US Midterm Election to perpetrate financial fraud schemes that target victims across the United States and have previously exploited state and local elections. The bureau says scammers use the names, images, logos, and slogans of candidates to fraudulently solicit campaign contributions, sell merchandise that is never delivered, or steal personally identifiable information that can be used for other fraud.

A related text-message scheme is also circulating: election scam texts can include a message saying you are not registered to vote and directing you to a link that may open a fraudulent state voter-registration page used to collect personal information. In a joint advisory, the FBI and CISA also flagged phishing aimed at voters and spear phishing attacks targeting election officials this cycle.

What we're seeing: past victims re-targeted by fake 'FBI recovery' outreach

AVASC's incident data shows prior scam victims being contacted by people impersonating the FBI/IC3 who promise fund recovery for an upfront fee — and federal reporting now confirms this is accelerating nationally. The FBI's updated PSA describes impersonators using phone calls from numbers that appear official, emails mimicking IC3 branding, fake IC3 websites built to look nearly identical to the real one, AI deepfake videos of what appear to be real federal agents, and AI voice cloning. Crucially, IC3 does not maintain a social media presence and does not investigate crimes or recover funds through Facebook, Telegram, or similar platforms. This dovetails with the broader impersonation wave AVASC is tracking: FBI figures show from January 2025 to July 2026, the FBI's IC3 received nearly 61,000 impersonation-scam reports, with losses exceeding $1.6 billion.

Protect yourself

No real government agency (FTC, FBI, SSA, IRS) will call to threaten arrest, deactivate your phone, or demand payment by gift card, wire, or crypto — hang up and verify independently using a number you look up yourself.
If you already reported a scam to the FBI/IC3, be skeptical of any follow-up call, DM, or email claiming to be a federal agent — the real IC3 does not solicit cases or promise fund recovery through social media or messaging apps.
Before donating to a campaign or PAC, verify it directly through the FEC's official database rather than clicking a link in a text or email.
Treat unexpected 'you're not registered to vote' texts with suspicion; check your registration only at your state election website or vote.gov, not via a link in the message.
Never give personal information, a badge number, or payment to someone who calls unexpectedly and tries to rush or scare you — legitimate officials don't pressure for secrecy or immediate payment.
If you've been targeted or scammed, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, and reach out to AVASC — you did nothing wrong, and reporting helps investigators and other potential victims.

Sources

FTC issues alert over new phone scam twist: Impostors threaten legal action over fake international fraud schemes — WBIW
The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number — FTC Consumer Advice
Bank of America issues alert on emerging financial scams as FTC reports $3.5 billion in imposter fraud losses — WBIW
Scammers Exploit 2026 U.S. Midterm Election to Perpetrate Multiple Fraud Schemes — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Cyber Threat Actors Use a Variety of Techniques to Target Election and Campaign Officials — FBI / CISA
Election Scam Texts 2026: What the FBI Warns — PA Tech Labs
FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3 — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Scammers Are Impersonating the FBI's Own Fraud Hotline — TrustOnion
FBI Dallas public warning on government/law-enforcement impersonation scams — FBI Dallas

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This briefing is public-safe intelligence: it surfaces only indicators and patterns that are already public, alongside protective guidance — never a playbook for scammers. AVASC is not a law firm, investigator, or government agency, and this is not legal or financial advice. If you've been targeted, you can report a scam or explore recovery resources.