The FBI has issued an internal memo warning ICE agents that women are using fake “tradwife” dating profiles to collect their personal details and expose them online. The agency’s Chicago office sent the memo to law enforcement officials nationwide in February, noting that a small group of women were creating fictitious profiles with the goal of attracting law enforcement officers involved in immigration enforcement.
According to The Guardian, the memo stated that “as of late Jan. 2026, a small group of women allegedly were creating fictitious online dating profiles with the purpose of attracting and then doxxing law enforcement participating in immigration enforcement.” The tactic is designed to generate public embarrassment and deter immigration enforcement activity.
What the Memo Said
The memo described the profiles as incorporating imagery of a “traditional wife” aesthetic and listing specific interests in an attempt to appeal to law enforcement officers. “The objective was to lure affiliated law enforcement personnel into an online or in-person interaction under the guise of a date, after which the individuals would be publicly exposed and doxed online,” the memo continued.
No specific dating apps were named in the memo. The document was sent after viral TikToks surfaced suggesting women should dox ICE agents they encountered on dating apps.
The FBI’s Response
The FBI defended the memo in a statement to The Guardian. “The FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve as well as protecting those who serve and protect communities,” the statement read. “The FBI is committed to ensuring that law enforcement officers are safe from threats or violence while performing their duties.”
The memo itself was marked as “not finally evaluated intelligence,” meaning it was preliminary rather than confirmed.
Who Got the Document
The memo was obtained by the government-transparency nonprofit Property of the People through a public records request. Its executive director, Ryan Shapiro, told The Guardian that the FBI’s move was overblown.
“It’s absurd the FBI issued a thinly-sourced security alert about ICE agents’ online dating troubles,” Shapiro said. He added that it was “equally ludicrous the FBI is spending taxpayer dollars to protect ICE agents from possible ’embarrassment’ at the hands of a supposed ‘small group of women’ who might name and ridicule them online.”
The Tradition Movement Online
The memo arrives amid a broader cultural moment for the “tradwife” movement. Women who claim to uphold traditional gender roles and conservative values have gained virality online in recent years.
A new report from Match offers some context. Match’s Singles in America report found that while some survey participants noticed an uptick in tradwife content, only 21 percent of respondents said it influenced their preferences regarding gender roles in relationships. A participant’s age and past experiences were more impactful on this front.
Shapiro’s Criticism
Shapiro’s statement questioned why the FBI was spending taxpayer dollars on a warning about a hypothetical online encounter. His criticism focused on the memo’s sourcing and the framing of the threat.
What Comes Next
The memo raises questions about how seriously the FBI takes online threats to law enforcement. Shapiro’s criticism of the memo as “thinly-sourced” points to the lack of evidence presented.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Viral TikToks appear | Before Feb. 2026 |
| FBI memo sent | Feb. |
| Memo obtained by Property of the People | Through public records request |
The FBI’s decision to warn agents about a potential threat based on preliminary intelligence is notable. Whether the warning was justified or a waste of resources remains open to debate.
Source material: “FBI warned ICE agents of fake tradwife dating profiles,” Mashable.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.