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Government/Military Imposter Scams

Scammers will pose as government or military officials to trick you into sending money or personal information. Learn how to recognize, report and recover from these scams.

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The Basics of Government/Military Imposter Scams

A government or military imposter scam is a type of fraud where scammers pose as government officials or military members in order to trick you into giving them money or personal information. These scams can take many different forms, but all aim to exploit your trust in the government and/or military.

During a government imposter scam, the scammer will pretend to contact you from a government or military agency such as the IRS, Medicare , Social Security Administration or VA. They claim that if you don’t pay a fine or provide personal information you could be deported or arrested, or lose your government/military benefits.

3 Common Tactics Used by a Government Imposter Scammer

There are several common tactics that scammers use in a government imposter scam to trick people into giving them money or personal information, such as:

  • Posing as a representative from a real government or military agency, such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, the VA, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  • Using fake websites or email addresses that look like they are from a government or military agency.
  • Calling from a fake government or military office and claiming that you owe money, need to pay a fine or are required to provide personal information — such as your Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account information — to maintain your government/military benefits.

Step 1:Recognize

Red Flags of a Government/Military Imposter Scam

If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the government or military, there are some red flags to watch out for that may indicate that you are being scammed, such as:

  • The caller claims to be from a government agency, like the IRS, VA or Social Security Administration.
  • They demand immediate payment, often through gift cards, prepaid debit cards or wire transfer.
  • The caller threatens to arrest you or have your utilities cut off if you don’t pay.
  • The caller says you must pay to avoid some kind of legal action.
  • The caller asks for personal information, like your Social Security number or bank account information.

Step 2:Immediate Actions

If you think you are the victim of a government/military imposter scam, it is important to take action right away to protect yourself and your finances. Here are some steps to take if you think you have been scammed:

  • Stop all contact with the individual(s) who contacted you.
  • Save all information or messages about the individual(s) who contacted you pretending to be from the government or military in case you need to take legal action.
  • If you provided financial information, like your credit card number or bank account information, contact your bank or credit card company right away. They may be able to help you cancel the transaction or get your money back.
  • If you sent funds via gift card or money transfer, report the scam to the issuer. They might be able to help you stop the transaction. Find their contact information by visiting their legitimate website.
  • If you provided personal information, like your Social Security number, you may be at risk for identity theft. Keep an eye on your credit report and financial accounts for any unusual activity, and consider placing a freeze on your credit.

Step 3:Report

Reporting any type of cybercrime, including government and military imposter scams, is imperative to help others avoid being scammed. As a society, the more people that report online scams and fraud, the more national reporting data that is collected, and the better chance law enforcement has to catch the criminals and decrease cybercrime.

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Step 4:Recover

Learn the Three Golden Rules to Spot a Scam

Scammers often utilize tactics to encourage you to act quickly and will use false information to persuade you to send money or personally identifiable information (PII). When faced with a questionable situation online, always follow the three golden rules to spot a scam:

Slow it down — Scammers often create a sense of urgency. They may be pushy or aggressive in their request for money or personal information. Take your time and ask questions to avoid being rushed into a bad situation.

Spot check — Do your research to double check that the person is who they say they are. If they claim to be a government official, look up the agency’s contact information on their official webpage and contact them directly.

Stop! Don’t send — Scammers will try to steal your money by rushing you into paying with unconventional payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers. If they insist you send payment in the form of gift cards or by wire transfer, it’s a scam.

Take 5 Steps for Better Online Security

Along with making sure you follow the three golden rules to spot a scam, it’s important to strengthen your online security to help avoid all types of online scams. Take action to improve your digital posture by following these steps:

  1. Implement Multi Factor Authentication (MFA): Passwords are generally easy for scammers to crack, and even if you use strong passphrases, there’s still the possibility that a cybercriminal can obtain your passphrase in a data breach. Implementing MFA is a great way to maximize your security and ensure that you are the only one who can gain access to your accounts. MFA should be implemented on all accounts where it is available. Check your account’s security settings to see if it is something you can set up.
  2. Update Your Privacy Settings: Privacy settings allow you to control your personal information (name, address, phone number, date of birth, financial details, photos or videos, etc) and how that information is used. Review your privacy settings on all of your accounts including your social media accounts. Consider restricting who can see your friends list, contacts, photos and posts.
  3. Activate Automatic Updates: Automatic updates are a set of changes to an app, software or operating system that are automatically pushed by the developer to fix or improve it. Oftentimes, cybercriminals take advantage of security flaws to plant malicious software on your devices. By activating automatic updates, you will automatically patch security vulnerabilities to protect your data.
  4. Use a Password Manager or Create Strong Passphrases: A password manager is a software tool that securely stores all of your login credentials in one place, allowing you to create and manage strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts. If you are unable to afford a password manager, use strong passphrases. A passphrase is a combination of random words or a sentence that is much longer and more complex than a typical password. Using a passphrase instead of a password makes it much harder for hackers to guess or brute-force their way into your accounts.
  5. Learn the Elements of a Phishing Attempt: Familiarize yourself with the elements of a phishing email. Phishing emails tend to include a sense of urgency and multiple grammar and spelling errors. If they are asking you to reveal personal information, be suspicious. If you get a strange email, try contacting the company another way to confirm they sent that email. If the email is suspicious, mark it as spam.

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