How To Avoid Imposter Scams

An imposter scam is when a scammer lies and pretends to be someone they’re not to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. Scammers often pretend to be from a business you know or from a government agency — or both. They try to gain your trust and get you to believe they are who they claim to be.

• Scammers try to convince you they’re with the government or a business you recognize by faking the caller ID.
• Scammers give you an employee ID or badge number or use the name of a real government employee.
• Scammers send official-looking letters with seals and make up government agency names that sound real but aren’t.

• Know that you have rights and legal protections — even if you owe a debt, miss jury duty, or had your identity stolen.
• Never transfer or send money, cryptocurrency, or gold to someone you don’t know in response to an unexpected call or message.
• Don’t believe anyone who says you have to quickly move your money to “protect” it. Anyone who tells you that is a scammer.
• If there’s a problem with your account or identity, always talk about it with someone you trust — especially if the stranger on the phone says it’s serious or involves a crime or claims to be from the government.
• Don’t click on links or call phone numbers in unexpected messages. If you think the message could be real, verify the story. Contact the organization in question using a phone number, website, or email address you know is real. Don't use the contact information in the unexpected message.

• Delivery services: Scammers send you fake notifications about package deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx.
• Employment recruiters: Scammers pretend to be a recruiter offering you a job.
• Family emergencies: Scammers try to trick you into thinking a loved one is in trouble and pressure you to send them money.
• Geek Squad: Geek Squad impersonators send you a bogus invoice that says you’re going to be charged hundreds of dollars to renew your membership if you don’t call to cancel within 24 hours.
• Government impersonators: Scammers pretend to be from government agencies like the FTC or the Social Security Administration, or say they’re calling about your Medicare benefits. Some have even impersonated FTC officials, including Chairman Andrew Ferguson.
• Jury duty: Scammers pretend to be from the police department or the courts, say you missed jury duty, and claim you must pay a fine or you’ll be arrested.
• Prizes: Scammers claim you won a prize or sweepstakes
• Scammers say you have to move your money to protect it: Scammers say they’ve discovered fraudulent or criminal activity in your name and say you must move money from your bank, investment, or retirement account before the court seizes it or hackers steal it.
• Tech support: Tech support scammers try to convince you to pay them to fix a non-existent computer problem or they say someone hacked your bank or investment account and is using it for fraud.
• Unpaid tolls: Scammers send you fake notifications about unpaid tolls.