Government Impersonation Scams

• Government impersonation scams can impact anyone. They range from impersonation of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• Identity criminals pose as government employees to call, text, email and send social media messages giving you a reason why you need to either give them your personal information or money.
• Scammers hope you will give up your financial details or personal information. They can then turn around and use your sensitive information to commit an array of identity crimes in your name. They also hope to steal your money.
• To avoid government impersonation scams, ignore any unknown messages. Reach out to the government agency directly to verify the validity of the message. Report the scam to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov and the FTC at www.FTC.gov/Complaint.
• If you have additional questions about government impersonation scams or believe you were the victim of an identity crime, contact the ITRC. You can reach us toll-free by text or phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on the company website idtheftcenter.org.

Have you ever received a phone call or message from someone claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA)? What about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? All of these could be examples of government impersonation scams. These scams can target anyone. Here is everything you should know.

Who Are the Targets?

Anyone

What is the Scam?

Government impersonation scams can come in many different forms. Some examples are:

• FTC impersonation scams
• SSA impersonation scams
• IRS impersonation scams
• DHS impersonation scams
• Law enforcement scams

In these scams, identity criminals typically call, text, email or message you on social media and claim they are with a government agency. The thieves will give you a reason why you need to either give them your personal information or money. The most common reason they give is that they claim you are already a victim of identity theft or that there is illegal or suspicious activity in your name.

Identity thieves will start off pretending to be from a business or government agency and then “transfer” you to another “Agent” at another “government agency” to keep victims on the phone for hours. The criminals try to wear down victims and keep their emotions high.

What they Want

Scammers hope you will give up your financial details or personal information. They can then turn around and use your sensitive information to commit an array of identity crimes in your name. They also hope to steal your money.

How to Avoid Government Impersonation Scams

• Ignore any unknown messages. If you get a call, text, email or social media message claiming to be from a government agency that you are not expecting, ignore it. Instead, contact the agency directly to verify the validity of the message. Don’t click on any links or call any phone numbers in the messages.
• Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number or name — like “Social Security Administration.” However, caller ID can be faked.
• Spread the word and report the scam. Let the government agency know that you received a scam message claiming to be them. You can report the government impersonation scam to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov and the FTC at www.FTC.gov/Complaint.

Contact the ITRC

If you have additional questions about government impersonation scams or believe you were the victim of an identity crime, contact us. You can speak with an ITRC expert advisor toll-free by text or phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on the company website. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.