Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Impersonation Scam
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the FTC.
Quick Answer
In Customs and Border Protection (CBP) impersonation scams, criminals pose as CBP officers to steal money and personal information, part of a larger government impersonation scheme that resulted in $618 million in reported losses in 2023.
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How It Works
1
A scammer contacts you unexpectedly by phone, email, text, or social media, claiming to be an agent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or the U.S. Border Patrol.
2
The impersonator claims a package addressed to you containing illegal items, such as drugs or fraudulent documents, has been intercepted. They create a sense of urgency by threatening you with arrest, investigation, or deportation if you do not cooperate immediately.
3
To appear legitimate, the scammer may use a real CBP employee's name, a fake badge number, a fake case number, and technology to make their phone number appear as if it is from a government agency.
4
The scammer demands immediate payment to resolve the issue, often requiring payment through wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. They may also ask for sensitive personal information like your Social Security number or bank account details to "verify your identity."
Red Flags
- Receiving an unsolicited call, text, or email from someone claiming to be from CBP.
- The caller threatens you with arrest or other legal action if you do not comply with their demands immediately.
- You are asked to pay a fee or fine using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer.
- The person asks for personal information like your Social Security number, bank account number, or passwords.
- The caller ID shows a government agency's name or number; this can be faked through a technique called spoofing.
- The caller provides a real agent's name or badge number found online to seem credible.
- You are pressured to act quickly and told not to speak to anyone else about the situation.
What to Do If Targeted
- Hang up the phone immediately. Do not respond to any texts or emails.
- Never provide personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller.
- Do not make any payment. Government agencies like CBP will never demand payment via phone using gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Block the phone number to prevent further contact.
- Independently verify the claims by looking up the official phone number for CBP and calling them directly. Do not use any contact information provided by the potential scammer.
- Report the incident to the appropriate authorities to help them track and stop these criminals.
How to Report It
- FTC — File a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission, the primary agency for collecting scam reports.
- FBI IC3 — Report the incident to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
- FCC — File a complaint about phone scams, robocalls, or unwanted calls with the Federal Communications Commission.
- AARP Fraud Helpline — Call 877-908-3360 for free support from trained fraud specialists. Available to anyone, not just AARP members.
Key Statistics
- Consumers reported losing $618 million to government impersonation scams in 2023, up from $497 million in 2022. — FTC 2024
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded nearly 32,500 government impersonation complaints in 2025, with associated losses of approximately $800 million. — FBI IC3 2026
- In the first quarter of 2024 alone, consumers reported losing $20 million in cash to government impersonation scams. — FTC 2024
- The median loss for victims who paid cash to government impersonators in the first three months of 2024 was $14,740. — FTC 2024
- The FTC received nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams in 2023. — FTC 2024
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not call you to demand money, threaten you with arrest, or ask for personal financial information like your Social Security number or bank account details over the phone. Any such call is a scam. CBP states that if they suspect illegal activity, they will not call a suspect or victim to request money.
Scammers use a technology called "spoofing" to disguise their real phone number and make it appear as though they are calling from a legitimate government agency, like CBP. This is why you should never trust your caller ID. If you have any doubts, hang up and call the agency directly using a number from their official website.
Government impersonation scams are frauds where criminals pose as officials from government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, IRS, or CBP. They aim to trick victims into sending money or giving up personal information by using threats or false promises. In 2023, the FTC received nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams.
Reported losses to government impersonation scams reached $618 million in 2023, an increase from $497 million in 2022. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that losses linked to these scams hit approximately $800 million in 2025, which was double the amount from 2024.
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