Government Impersonation Fraud

Pay up… or else!
Government impersonators trick older people into sending cash to avoid trouble.

What it is: Scammers call unsuspecting older adults and pretend they’re with the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, or other government agency. They may say they’re calling about unpaid taxes or other bills and threaten that if you don’t pay them money or share your personal information, something bad will happen or you’ll lose government benefits.

How it works: Every scammer has a different method, but in general, the victim gets a call, text, email, or other message alerting them that there’s something wrong. The contact may be very believable and will work to establish credibility and build rapport. Then they demand payment and use intimidation to get you to send money or personal information.

ALERT: These scams are happening close to home

In our local area, banking institutions are reporting instances where elderly members have withdrawn large amounts of cash and sent the money to scammers to avoid a made-up financial consequence—only to learn later that they’ve been scammed. In some of these local cases, the scammer has sent a courier to collect the victim’s cash.

Protect yourself:

• Remember: Real government agencies won’t threaten you with arrest or lost benefits if you don’t share personal information or send money (either cash, gift cards, or payment through an app). Don’t engage with anyone who contacts you with these threats.
• Don’t trust your caller ID. Even if you see a government agency’s real name and phone number on your phone, this can easily be faked.
• Don’t click on links in unexpected emails, texts, or social media messages.
• If you receive a message and are concerned it may be real, find the agency’s website and use the contact information on the site to initiate an inquiry yourself.
• Talk to a trusted friend or relative or visit a Harborstone branch to ask for help in determining whether the person contacting you has legitimate business with you.

Find more tips about Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Medicare, and other government impersonation scams—and how to outsmart them—on the FTC’s website.

Did you know?

Scammers regularly use software to spoof the phone numbers of government agencies, and they know how to forge an email address, so the sender looks official.