Criminals are using my name, my photograph, and a fabricated CIA badge to deceive people. If someone claiming to be Jennifer Ewbank has contacted you about an investigation, a legal matter, or money, it is not me. This page explains what is happening, how to protect yourself, and how to report it.
No. If you searched my name together with words like "scam," "fraud," "CIA badge," or "investigation," you are in the right place. My name is among those of many current and former government officials and law enforcement officers being misused by criminals. People have been contacted by someone impersonating me and offering a fabricated CIA badge as proof. My goal with this page? I want to ensure that anyone approached this way can learn the truth quickly, protect themselves, and help investigators stop it.
I do not work for, speak for, or represent the CIA or any other U.S. government entity. The CIA is not a law-enforcement agency, and I do not conduct investigations of any kind.
I will never contact you to investigate you, clear you of wrongdoing, collect a fine or debt, or resolve any legal or government matter.
I will never ask you for personal information, banking details, money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
Anyone doing these things in my name is a criminal. Do not engage.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported in September 2026 that, between January 2025 and July 2026, it received nearly 61,000 complaints about criminals impersonating law enforcement and government officials, with reported losses of more than $1.6 billion. Criminals borrow real names, photographs, and fabricated badges and credentials to build false trust, then use that trust to take personal information and money, often from older Americans. The FBI warns that these schemes now use official-looking documents, fake badges, and even AI-generated voices to appear legitimate.
Real U.S. government officials will not call or text you to demand payment of any kind, threaten you with arrest if you do not pay, or ask you to move money to a "safe" account. They will not ask for payment by gift card, prepaid card, cryptocurrency, or courier. They will not contact you on a messaging app. They will not prove their identity by texting or emailing you a photograph of a badge or credential. A badge photo, a government seal, an official-looking document, and even a familiar name and face are not proof of identity. All of them can be faked in minutes.
Urgency, secrecy, and pressure are the signature of a scam.
Do not use the phone number, link, or profile the person gives you. Look up the agency's official .gov website yourself and verify through its published contact information. If you feel pressured, scared, or rushed, pause and talk to someone you trust before doing anything.
1. Stop communicating with them immediately.
2. Preserve the evidence: messages, phone numbers, account names, and images.
3. If money or financial information is involved, contact your bank or payment provider right away.
4. Report the account to the platform where the contact occurred.
This criminal activity has been reported to the FBI, and investigators welcome reports from anyone who has been contacted, whether or not you lost anything. Every report helps connect incidents, identify the people responsible, and move toward an eventual arrest.
You can also report to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Victims aged 60 and over can also call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 (1-833-FRAUD-11).
File at IC3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Investigators welcome reports from anyone who has been contacted, whether or not you lost anything.
If someone contacts you on social media or a messaging app claiming to be me and involved in an investigation of any kind, there is no situation in which that is real. Do not engage with them. Report it directly to the FBI at IC3.gov, where your report can help investigators identify the people responsible.
And please share the general warning regarding the increase in impersonation fraud with the seniors in your life. These crimes succeed by creating fear, urgency, and false trust before the target has time to question what is happening. A few minutes of independent verification can make all the difference.
This page will be updated as the situation develops.
I connect with people through this website's contact form, through my LinkedIn profile (linkedin.com/in/jennifer-ewbank), and through established professional channels for speaking and board work. That is it.
Views expressed here are the author's alone and do not represent
the positions or policies of the U.S. Government or the Central Intelligence Agency.
Speaking, board, and advisory engagements are contracted through Andaman Strategic Advisors LLC.
Shadow & Signal™ and Mind Sovereignty™ are trademarks.
© 2026 Jennifer Ewbank. All rights reserved. (UPDated: October 23, 2026)