Checked
Written from official fraud-agency notices. Every figure and piece of advice is checked against the sources listed at the bottom.
What we found
Set out in the same plain format as reader reports.
- What kind of scam?
- Fake bank and official calls
- In short
- Someone claims to be a tax, benefits or consumer agency and threatens you unless you pay or share personal details right away.
- How does it reach you?
- Phone call, text or email
- What does the message look like?
- What the caller says, written by us as an example."This is an officer from the tax office. There is a warrant in your name. Pay today with gift cards or you will be arrested. Do not hang up."
- How can you spot it?
- Threats or an arrest warning
Real agencies do not threaten you or demand immediate payment. - Payment by gift card, wire or crypto
No real agency requires these. - A request to move money "to protect it"
No government worker will say this. - Caller ID that matches the agency
Caller ID can be faked.
- Threats or an arrest warning
- Is it growing?
- Yes, it is growing
- What do the sources say?
- The FTC says government impersonation losses were about $920 million in 2025. [2]
- Where do I report it?
- FTC ReportFraud
reportfraud.ftc.gov - IdentityTheft.gov
identitytheft.gov
- FTC ReportFraud
If this happened to you
- Hang up or ignore the message. On a robocall, do not press any numbers.
- Do not call back the number given. Contact the agency using a number you verify yourself.
- Do not click links in unexpected messages.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you shared personal details, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
Sources (2)
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission: How to avoid a government impersonation scam (Checked 18 Oct 2026)
- US Federal Trade Commission: FTC data show people reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025 (15 Jun 2026)