Law enforcement or government official impersonation call
Scammers pretend to be U.S. or foreign law enforcement or government officials and accuse you of a crime. They demand money or personal information and may use spoofed numbers, fake credentials, or even AI video.
How it works
Most of these contacts start with an unsolicited phone call, though texts and emails are also used. The caller spoofs a real agency number or uses a real-sounding name and badge. They accuse you of a crime and threaten arrest or prosecution unless you pay or 'help' an investigation. They may keep you on the line, refuse to speak with anyone else, and tell you not to contact family, your bank, or police. Payment is demanded by prepaid cards, courier, bank wire, cryptocurrency, or cash at a crypto kiosk. From January 2025 through July 2026, IC3 received nearly 61,000 complaints of this type, with losses totaling more than $1.6 billion.
Red flags
- A government or police official contacts you out of the blue and demands payment.
- They want prepaid cards, crypto, a courier, or a crypto kiosk.
- They tell you to stay on the line and not talk to anyone else.
- A website they share is a close copy of a .gov site but does not actually end in .gov.
What to do
- Hang up. Real law enforcement will not demand these payment methods by phone or text.
- If you want to check, call the agency using a number from its official website, not a number the caller gave you.
- Notify your bank if you shared financial information, and contact local police if you paid.
- File a complaint at ic3.gov and also report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Where to report it
- reportfraud.ftc.gov — the FTC's report form.
- ic3.gov — the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.