Government imposter scams are when fraudsters pretend to work for the government and use that false authority to trick you out of your money. If someone contacts you claiming to be with the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, the state, a local government, or even law enforcement, you should be skeptical.
Remember: the government will never call, email, or text you and ask for money or personal information.
What kinds of government imposter scams should I watch out for?
There are as many government imposter scam types as there are government agencies. However, the most common ones include:
IRS impersonation
Social Security impersonation
Medicare impersonation
Jury duty impersonation
Local or federal police impersonation
How do government imposter scams work?
Government imposter scams work exactly how they sound: a scammer pretends to work for a federal, state, or local agency, and tells you to pay the government for a phony reason.
Scammers may even have your personal information already and use that to convince you that they are who they say there are. Never confirm any personal information and don’t confuse them having data like your Social Security number or other personal information for authenticity.
How do I spot a government imposter scam?
It can be tough to spot a government imposter scam. They will use official–looking mail, use a caller ID that appears to be from a real agency, or email you with official–looking logos and a seemingly official email address. They may also tell you their “employee ID number.” Whatever they can do to seem official.
Scammers want to create a sense of urgency for you. They may say you owe back taxes, or now have fines and penalties to pay. They may threaten you with punishment like more fines or jail time if you don’t pay them. They may also demand your Social Security number or other sensitive information.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the government or law enforcement, it’s always OK to request the person verify their identity. Hang up and call the legitimate agency by looking up their phone number online or on an official piece of mail. Never click on links in texts or emails, and don’t use the phone numbers provided by the individual who reached out initially.
How do I get my money back?
If you’ve sent money to a scammer, contact the company you used to process that payment immediately. Reporting fraud to your bank, credit card company, the company you bought a gift card from, a cryptocurrency exchange, or any other payment processing company can help reverse it.
