Scammers are impersonating FTC Chief Privacy Officer John Krebs

All year round, scammers pose as government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to try to steal your money. Scammers sometimes make unexpected calls pretending to be FTC employees like Chief Privacy Officer John Krebs — but it’s not actually him. Here’s how the scam works so you can spot and avoid it.

People are reporting getting unexpected calls from someone saying they’re “agent” John Krebs — even though the FTC doesn’t have “agents.” The caller says that you’re under investigation for money laundering (you’re not, it’s a lie). To “resolve the matter,” the caller wants you to deposit money at a Bitcoin ATM — but it’s a scam, so hang up and keep your money.

Scammers sometimes fake caller ID numbers to make it look like it’s an FTC employee calling. Even if the caller uses the name of a real FTC employee, nobody from the FTC will ever tell you to pay or move your money to “fix a problem.” That’s a scam.

To protect yourself from scams like this:

• Never transfer or send money to anyone in response to an unexpected call or message, no matter who they say they are.
• Know that the FTC won’t ask for money. In fact, no government agency will ever tell you to deposit money at a cryptocurrency ATM, buy gift cards and share the numbers, or send money over a payment app like Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo.
• Don’t trust your caller ID. A call might look like it’s coming from the government or a business, but scammers often fake caller ID.

If you get a call like this, hang up. Don’t call the number back. Then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.