Imposter Scams: How to Spot Someone Pretending to Be an Agency or a Company You Trust

An imposter scam is when someone pretends to be a person or organization you trust so you will send money or share personal information. The costume changes: a government agency, your bank, a delivery company, Amazon or Apple, the power company, tech support, or even a grandchild in trouble. The script underneath stays the same. Imposter scams are the type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) most often, year after year.

This guide is for anyone who answers a phone or opens an inbox, and especially for older adults and the family members who help them. The warning signs and steps below were checked against FTC consumer advice on October 7, 2026.

Who imposters pretend to be

• Government agencies. The Social Security Administration, the IRS, Medicare, the FTC, the police, or a court. The story is usually a problem with your benefits, a tax debt, a warrant, or a prize you must pay a fee to claim.
• Businesses you use. Your bank, an online store, a phone or internet company, a utility, or a delivery service. The story is a suspicious charge, a locked account, a package problem, or a refund.
• Tech support. A pop-up or call that says your computer is infected. See Tech Support Scams: How They Work and How to Stop Them.
• Family and friends. A call or message from someone who sounds like a grandchild, child, or friend in an emergency. Scammers can now copy a voice from a short clip online. See Family Emergency Scams.
• A new romantic interest. Someone met online who never meets in person and eventually needs money. See Online Romance Scams.

Where the first contact comes from

Imposters reach people by phone call, text, email, social media message, and paid ads. A search ad or social media ad can look exactly like a real company or agency and lead to a fake website or a fake help line. Caller ID can be faked too, so a call can show a real agency’s name and number. See Caller ID Spoofing.

That means the channel never proves who is on the other end. What gives an imposter away is what they ask you to do.

Four signs it is an imposter

1. They contacted you first, about money or personal information. Real agencies do not call, text, email, or message you on social media to demand money or ask for your Social Security number or bank details.
2. There is a threat or a deadline. Arrest, a suspended Social Security number, a frozen account, or a fee that doubles at the end of the day. Urgency is designed to stop you from checking.
3. They tell you how to pay. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, a payment app, cash handed to a courier, or a bank transfer to “protect” your money. The FTC says scammers insist on these methods because the money is hard to track and hard to get back. See How Scammers Tell You to Pay.
4. They tell you to keep it secret. “Don’t tell the bank teller.” “Don’t tell your family, this is a confidential investigation.” A real agency or business never needs you to hide a payment from the people helping you.

One sign is enough to stop. You do not need all four.

What real agencies and companies do instead

• The IRS usually starts with a letter in the mail, and it does not demand payment by gift card, wire, or crypto.
• The Social Security Administration does not threaten arrest or suspend your Social Security number, and it will not ask for payment by gift card, wire, crypto, or cash by mail. See Hang Up on Social Security Scam Calls.
• Your bank will not ask you to move money to a “safe account” or read back a code it just texted you.
• No legitimate business or agency collects payment on gift cards. See Gift Cards Are Only for Gifts.

The one habit that beats almost every imposter

Hang up, then contact the organization yourself. Use a phone number or web address you already trust: the back of your bank card, a paper statement, the agency’s official .gov website typed into the browser, or the app you already use. Do not use a number, link, or QR code the caller or message gave you, and do not search for a help line and click the first ad.

If the problem is real, the organization will still be there in ten minutes. If it was an imposter, you just ended the scam.

A family rule for a bad day

Agree on this before anyone is scared, and say it out loud to an older parent:

1. If anyone contacts us and asks for money or personal information, we hang up and call back on a number we already have.
2. We never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, or cash to a courier because someone told us to.
3. We never keep a payment secret from family or the bank. If someone says “don’t tell anyone,” that is the scam.
4. A familiar voice is not proof. Call that person back on their usual number, or ask a question only they would know.
5. Before sending money to anyone who contacted us, we call one trusted person first.

Write the rule on a card and keep it by the phone. Our guide Stop Scam Calls on a Parent’s Phone covers the phone settings that cut down how many of these calls get through.

If you already paid or shared information

Act quickly, and don’t be embarrassed. Imposters are professionals and they fool careful people every day. What to do depends on how you paid:

• Credit or debit card: call the card issuer, report the fraud, and ask to reverse the charge.
• Bank transfer or Zelle: call your bank or credit union right away and ask them to reverse the transfer.
• Payment app: report it in the app and ask for a refund. If the app is linked to a card or bank account, call that bank too.
• Gift card: call the company that issued the card, keep the card and receipt, and ask for a refund. See Report Gift Cards Used in a Scam.
• Wire transfer: call the wire company (such as Western Union or MoneyGram) or your bank, say it was fraud, and ask them to reverse it.
• Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or crypto ATM company immediately. Crypto payments usually lack the protections cards have, so report it quickly.
• Cash sent by mail: call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and ask whether the package can be stopped.

If you gave your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and consider a credit freeze. If you gave a password, change it and turn on two-step sign-in. If you let someone onto your computer, disconnect it from the internet, remove any program they had you install, and change passwords from a different device.

Expect a second call. People who lost money are often contacted again by someone claiming they can recover it for a fee. That is the same scam again. See Refund and Settlement Scams.

Where to report

• All imposter scams: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Social Security imposters: the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov.
• IRS imposters: the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
• Medicare imposters: 1-800-MEDICARE.
• Fake ads or profiles: use the report button on the platform where you saw them.

A report rarely brings the money back on its own, but it helps law enforcement spot patterns and build cases. See Why Report Fraud?

Checklist

• Everyone in the house knows: hang up and call back on a number we already have.
• An older parent has one person to call before paying anyone who contacted them.
• Bank, card, and agency phone numbers are written down somewhere easy to find.
• Nobody pays with gift cards, wires, crypto, or cash to a courier because a caller said so.
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov is saved.

FAQ

The caller ID showed the real agency’s number. Could it still be a scam?

Yes. Caller ID can be faked. Hang up and call the agency using the number on its official website.

The message knew my name and part of my account number. Doesn’t that prove it’s real?

No. Scammers often have details from data breaches or public records. Knowing something about you is not proof of who they are.

What if I’m worried I really do owe money?

Contact the agency or company yourself using a number from its official website or from a bill you already had. If you owe something, they can tell you, and they will offer normal ways to pay.

I saw an ad for a government program on social media. Is it real?

Be careful. Fake ads that look like agencies or well-known companies are a common starting point. Type the agency’s .gov address into your browser yourself instead of clicking the ad.

Sources

• Federal Trade Commission, “How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 7, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “What To Do if You Were Scammed,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 7, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Imposter Scams,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 7, 2026.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. If you lost money, contact your bank or payment provider right away and report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.