Imposter scams

Imposters can pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Social Security Administration (SSA), a business, or a charity. These scammers want you to trust them so they can steal your personal information and money.

Types of imposter scams

An imposter scammer may call, text, email, or knock at your door to convince you they are someone in authority. They may even use caller ID to make it look like they are calling from an official government or business number. To steal your identity, they try to get you to send money or a gift card or share personal information.

Learn about the top types of identity theft and imposter scams, also known as impersonation scams.

Type	Description
Government impersonation scams	Unless you contact them first, government agencies typically initiate communication with you by letter. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method may be a scam. Common examples include: IRS imposter scams - scammers pretend you owe the IRS money for taxes and may threaten legal action Social Security imposter scams - scammers claim there is a problem with your Social Security account or promise to increase your benefits
Unemployment scams	Scammers file unemployment benefits using other people's names and personal information.
“Grandparent” scams	Scammers target elderly individuals and pretend to be a grandchild or other younger relative who needs emergency financial help.
Charity scams	Scammers pretend to be from a real or fake charity and try to get you to contribute.
Tech support scams	Scammers tell you your computer’s security is at risk and try to remotely access your device and steal personal information or ask for payment.
Bank or business scams	Scammers may also pretend to be from your bank or a company you do business with. You might be told you owe money or there is a problem with your account.