FBI & Police Impersonation Scams
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the FTC.
Quick Answer
In government impersonation scams, criminals pose as law enforcement to extort money, resulting in losses of $798 million in 2025 alone, according to the FBI.
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How It Works
1
A scammer calls, texts, or emails, claiming to be an officer with the FBI, local police, or another law enforcement agency. They often spoof the agency's real phone number to appear legitimate on caller ID.
2
The impersonator creates a sense of urgency and fear. They may claim you have a warrant for your arrest for missing jury duty, your identity has been used in a crime, or you owe money for a fine and will be arrested if you don't pay immediately.
3
The scammer instructs you to pay the fictitious fine using a specific, untraceable method. Common methods include wire transfers, cryptocurrency, mailing cash, or purchasing prepaid gift cards and providing the numbers over the phone.
4
To prevent you from verifying their claims, the impersonator will insist you stay on the phone with them throughout the entire process of making the payment. They will threaten you with immediate arrest if you hang up or tell anyone what is happening.
Red Flags
- Receiving an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be with the FBI or police who threatens you with arrest.
- The caller demands immediate payment to avoid legal consequences or to clear up a supposed warrant.
- You are instructed to pay using gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, or by mailing cash.
- The caller uses an aggressive, urgent tone and pressures you to act immediately without talking to anyone else.
- The caller ID displays the name and number of a real law enforcement agency, a common tactic known as 'spoofing'.
- They ask you to confirm personal information like your Social Security number or bank details over the phone to 'verify' your identity.
What to Do If Targeted
- Hang up the phone immediately. Do not engage with the caller, even if they have your personal information.
- Never provide personal or financial information, such as your Social Security number or bank account details, to an unsolicited caller.
- Do not make any payment. Real law enforcement agencies will never demand payment over the phone via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Verify the claim independently. Look up the official phone number for the agency the caller claims to represent and call them directly to ask if they contacted you.
- Block the phone number to prevent further contact from the scammers.
- Report the impersonation attempt 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 nation's primary consumer protection agency.
- FBI IC3 — Report the incident to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which tracks cyber-enabled crime.
- 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
- Losses from government impersonation scams surged to $798 million in 2025, a significant increase from $406 million in 2024. — FBI IC3 2026 Report
- The number of reported government impersonation complaints nearly doubled from 17,367 in 2024 to 32,424 in 2025. — FBI IC3 2026 Report
- In 2023, consumers reported losing $618 million to government impersonation scams across all payment methods. — FTC June 2024 Data
- The median loss for victims who paid government impersonation scammers with cash in the first quarter of 2024 was $14,740. — FTC June 2024 Data
- Combined losses for business and government impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion in 2023, more than three times the amount reported in 2020. — FTC Data Spotlight April 2024
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, real law enforcement and government agencies will never call, email, or text you to demand immediate payment or threaten you with arrest for not paying a fine. They will not ask for payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. Any communication demanding money in this manner is a scam.
Scammers use a technique called 'spoofing' to make it appear as though their call is coming from a legitimate government phone number. Even if the caller ID looks authentic, you should not trust it. Always hang up and call the agency back using their official, publicly listed phone number to verify the communication.
Government impersonation scams involve criminals posing as officials from agencies like the FBI, IRS, or Social Security Administration. They use threats and intimidation to trick victims into sending money or giving up personal information. These scams resulted in reported losses of $618 million in 2023, according to the FTC.
Yes, people of all ages are targeted by impersonation scams. While older adults often report higher individual financial losses, the FTC notes that younger adults between ages 20-29 report losing money to fraud more often than older adults.
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