In the United States, some of the most persistent scams involve callers, texters and emailers who claim to represent a government body. This guide covers three variants described by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Social Security Administration impersonation, Medicare impersonation and fake court or sheriff calls. Everything here refers to US agencies and US reporting routes; UK readers should see this site’s guides on UK scams instead. It is general information, not legal advice.
The common pattern
The FTC says a government impersonation scam often starts with a call, email, text or social media message from someone claiming to be with an agency. The scammer may quote an employee ID number to sound official, and may already know the victim’s name or home address. They then give a reason why money or personal information must be sent immediately, and the FTC says agencies will never call, email, text or message a person on social media to ask for money or personal information. USA.gov adds that, unless a person contacts them first, government agencies typically start communication by letter, so unexpected contact by other means may be a scam. The FTC also says caller ID can be faked.
Social Security Administration impersonation
The FTC describes a contact claiming that a person’s Social Security benefits will end, or their Social Security number will be suspended, unless they pay at once. The scammer insists the only fix is a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app, and may threaten arrest. The FTC says the real Social Security Administration will not threaten anyone or suspend a Social Security number, and will not call, email, text or message on social media to ask for payment. USA.gov adds a version in which scammers promise to increase benefits.
The FTC advises ignoring contacts that claim to be from the agency and ask for payment or confirmation of a Social Security number, calling a local office directly using the number on the agency’s own website, and reporting the contact to the agency’s Office of the Inspector General.
Medicare impersonation
The FTC describes two versions. In one, a caller asks for a Medicare, bank account or credit card number for a supposed new Medicare card, but the FTC says Medicare sends cards automatically and free, and a person never has to do or pay anything. In the other, the caller says a Medicare number is needed for a medical equipment claim the person does not remember making. The FTC says the aim is to steal the Medicare number and file fraudulent claims.
Medicare.gov says Medicare will never call to sell anything or visit a person at home. Medicare, or someone representing it, will only call and ask for personal information in limited situations, such as an agent returning a call after someone has joined a plan, reported fraud or left a message. Its advice on what not to do includes:
- Do not give a Medicare card, Medicare number, Social Security card or Social Security number to anyone except a doctor or people who should legitimately have it, such as insurers acting on the person’s behalf or State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) staff.
- Do not allow anyone other than a doctor or other Medicare provider to review medical records or recommend services.
- Do not join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone unless the person called and asked for help.
To check for fraud, Medicare.gov suggests comparing the dates and services on a personal calendar with the Medicare statements received, and creating a secure Medicare.gov account to see Original Medicare claims as soon as they are processed. Questions or suspicions can be raised on 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). People with a Medicare Advantage Plan or drug plan can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor on 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).
Fake sheriff, court and immigration calls
The FTC lists further examples. Scammers may claim to be from a local sheriff’s office or court, say there is a warrant for arrest, or say a penalty is owed for missing jury duty. It says this is most likely a scam, and that anyone worried should look up the real number for the office named and call to get the true story. The FTC also describes callers who pose as immigration authorities, saying there is a problem with an application and a payment is needed; it advises contacting the US Citizenship and Immigration Services directly.
What to do if contacted
- Hang up or ignore the message. If it is a robocall, the FTC says not to press any numbers, because that could lead to more calls.
- Do not use the number the caller gave or the one on caller ID. Call the agency at a number known to be correct.
- Do not click links in unexpected emails, texts or social media messages.
- Never pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency or payment app to someone who claims to be with the government. The FTC says scammers insist on these methods because the money is hard to track and hard to recover.
Reporting
The FTC says to report government impersonation scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the state attorney general, and that anyone who has given personal information to a scammer should go to IdentityTheft.gov for recovery steps. USA.gov also directs people to report imposter scams online to the FTC, and tax-related ones to the Internal Revenue Service.
Frequently asked questions
Will the Social Security Administration ever call about a problem with a Social Security number?
The FTC says the real agency will not suspend a Social Security number or call, email, text or message on social media to demand payment.
The bottom line
The consistent signals in the FTC, USA.gov and Medicare.gov guidance are unexpected contact, urgency, threats of arrest or lost benefits and demands for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire or app. Real agencies do not work this way, so the safe response is to stop, use a number found independently and report the attempt to the FTC.