Remove “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email

The “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email is a generic scam that claims recipients are entitled to get compensation of $1,759,910.00 for being victims of scams. Supposedly, scammers have been apprehended, prosecuted, and sentenced, and the prosecuting law firm is planning on paying each victim the mentioned sum of money. The email asks that recipients contact the law firm using the provided information and include the reference number to start the process. The contents of the email are entirely fake, and this is nothing more than an attempt to get users to reveal their personal information.

 

 

These emails are typically distributed widely to thousands of compromised email addresses. They usually falsely suggest that recipients have won a lottery, inherited a large sum of money, or, in this instance, qualify to receive compensation for being a victim of fraud.

The sender introduces themselves as the Director of the Internet Crime Complaint Center NY Department (IC3), Eduard Popa. Supposedly, their records indicate that you are eligible to receive restitution for one or more scams of which you were a victim. According to the email, each victim can get an amount of $1,759,910.00, which is an outrageously large sum of money, and no one is going to believe the contents of the email because of it.

The full “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email is below:

Subject: Scam Victims Compensation from Internet Crime Complaint Cent er NY Department (IC3)

Dear -,

My name is Eduard Popa, and I am the Director of the Internet Crime Complaint Center NY Department (IC3).
Our records indicate that you are eligible to receive restitution for one or more of the internet fraud schemes you’ve been a victim of. The fraudsters were apprehended and have been prosecuted and sentenced.

The prosecuting law firm has been approved by the judge to pay each victim an amount of USD 1,759,910.00 as restitution.
You are required to contact the law firm at the below email address, and you are to send your reference number, which is also stated below.

Ref: GBV-IP/2785-IRL142/064

E-MAIL: popaeduard812@gmail.com

Thanks, and regards!
Eduard Popa Director
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
New York, NY 10216, USA.

When users engage with such emails, they are asked for personal information, including their full name, home address, and phone number. The longer the interaction continues, the more details scammers attempt to extract. These scammers frequently aim to build a connection with their targets to manipulate them more easily in the future. After several exchanges, once a sense of trust has been established, scammers typically request money, often using vague explanations that victims may overlook due to the already established trust.

Once scammers obtain personal information, they can exploit it for fraudulent activities or sell it on hacker forums to other cybercriminals. Sensitive data, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, significantly increases the likelihood of success for future scams. Victims are more prone to falling for scams when addressed by name or when their personal information is mentioned. Moreover, if scammers acquire credit card details, they may make unauthorized transactions.

Any email promising large sums of money is always a scam, without exception. If something appears too good to be true, it likely is. While the “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email lacks credibility, malicious actors often prey on older individuals who may be less familiar with these schemes, making them more susceptible. It is not uncommon for victims to lose tens of thousands of dollars to these types of scams.

Remove “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email

Receiving scam emails in your inbox could indicate that your email address has been leaked by some service you use. This often occurs when platforms with inadequate security measures are targeted by cybercriminals, leading to data breaches. Once personal information, such as email addresses, is leaked or stolen, it frequently ends up on hacker forums where it is sold to cybercriminals for malicious use. You can verify if your email address has been exposed on haveibeenpwned. While it is impossible to reverse a data leak, you can remain vigilant by being cautious with unsolicited emails or other forms of contact.

If you get this “Internet Crime Complaint Center” email, it is advisable to delete it without engaging with its contents. If you have already interacted with the email and provided personal information, exercise heightened caution with any unsolicited communications, whether via email or phone, even if the sender appears to possess accurate details about you.