Government impersonation scam help

Start with these steps

1. End the unexpected contact. Hang up, close the message, or stop replying. Do not press a number to be transferred.
2. Do not pay or share information. Pause if someone threatens arrest, account suspension, deportation, loss of benefits, or another urgent consequence unless you pay or provide personal details immediately.
3. Find the real agency independently. Locate the agency’s official website through a trusted government directory or type the known address yourself. Do not use the number or link from the message.
4. Ask whether the claim is real. Contact the agency through its published route and describe the communication. Keep the unexpected contact separate from the verification call.
5. Act through official instructions. If the agency confirms a real issue, follow the process on its official site or in official written material.

Pressure tactics to notice

• Threats of immediate arrest or legal action unless payment is made now.
• Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, cash, or payment through a kiosk.
• Instructions to keep the conversation secret or stay on the phone while paying.
• Requests for account passwords, verification codes, or remote access to a device.
• A demand to call a number in the message rather than an agency’s independently published number.

Some real agencies contact people by phone, mail, or electronic message. The safer response is to verify the specific claim through a contact route you locate yourself.

If you already paid or shared information

Stop further contact. If money was sent, contact the bank or payment provider promptly through an official route and read what to do after sending money. If identity or account information was shared, use the personal-information guide and review IdentityTheft.gov when appropriate.

You can also consider a report to the FTC. Reporting does not guarantee an individual investigation or financial recovery.

Official sources

• FTC: How To Avoid a Government Impersonation ScamOfficial warning signs, verification guidance, and reporting information. Last reviewed September 19, 2026.
• USAGov: A–Z index of U.S. government agenciesDirectory for finding official federal agency websites and contact information.
• FTC ReportFraudOfficial consumer fraud reporting portal.