Criminals submit to FTC to try to steal your money and information

If a government agency calls and tells you to pay time or you will face prison, it can be scary. You can even make a reckless decision of fear just to make the problem disappear.

Many casualties have done the same by turning their financial information to fraudsters, hoping to prey to their suffering. The Federal Trade Commission warns people of imposters fraud in which a fraudster pretends to be from a government agency as FTC to Steal information about your bank account and possibly your identityS

“We take it seriously when fraudsters claim that the FTC chairman is online to help you get out of bond or that you are accused of serious crimes,” the agency wrote in recent Blog postS “None of the FTC will call, will send you an email, or send you a message to say any of these things.”

Imposter frauds are not new but Progress in AI They help them become much more common and convincing. For example, scammers use AI to cover up their location, Voices and persons. The better they are to convince you that they are someone else, the greater the likelihood of succeeding with the crime.

And it’s worth the effort for criminals. Imposter fraud led to $ 2.95 billion in 2024, with the second highest harmful fraud behind investor fraud, According to FTCS Government fraud explicitly cost people $ 789 million, compared to $ 618 million the previous year.

What are FTC impression scams?

FTC imposch frauds work similarly to all other self -styled frauds. A criminal will contact you through a phone, text or email while pretending to be FTC, and they will try to get carrot in the form of free money or scare you to think that you are in difficulty with the law.

Some examples FTC imposses examples include:

• You are part of an agreement in a basic claim for class action and “FTC” requires access to your bank account to deposit your part of the agreement.
• “FTC” wants you to pay a small amount in front as a fee before a significant payment of any kind can be made.
• Your account is violated and a FTC member is in standby mode to help you.
• If you come across one of these frauds, it may be even more challenging to find a person in one of these agencies to help cancel the damage, given the recent abbreviation strap in government agencies, including FTCS

Aimed at our most vulnerable

Frauds behind bets such as imposters fraud understand that some groups may be more vulnerable than others, perhaps less aware of the role and scope of FTC and therefore more likely to be trapped.

Older people are often the most affected by fraud with self -resource and criminals understand that our elderly people were probably raised to be more conscious of the authority of government agencies and therefore pay more time and attention. It is from the type of time that it has to build a confidence that is essential for the withdrawal of fraud.

According to FTC, People aged 60 and up lost $ 2.4 billion from a scam in 2024.With people aged 60 to 69, they lose more than any other age group. The number of older Americans reporting that they were losing more than $ 100,000 in a year, has tripled more than 2020.

For these victims, this is much more than the money they lose, although this can be detrimental. Katie Stokes, AARP director for fraud prevention programs, said in March AARP Publication This fraud can lead to emotional and health risks and leave the elders more reading the state safety networks than the egg for a pension nest they worked hard to build.

How to notice and avoid fraud

Most self -trained frauds have the same Telltale distribution as any other fraud – it’s all about context. Here’s how to identify FTC and other fraud so you don’t fall for them.

• The request, offer or threat are unusual. When was the last time you contacted FTC or from another government agency for something? Have you ever had a communication or relationship with FTC before? Have you ever done what you are accused of?
• They tell you to send money. FTC will never ask you to transfer or send money, make threats or promise a reward.
• It doesn’t feel right. Why would FTC want to help you move your money to a more fucked account? Or invest in cryptocurrency? Or pay a fine using a gift card? Not so. If the information you are told sounds, trust your gut. FTC will probably contact you only if you have submitted a report. If they do, the speaker will have the report number of the report.
• Consider the communication method. The government tends to put notifications in writing and send them by mail. Therefore, be suspicious of texts, emails or calls that claim to be from a government agency.
• There is an unusual sense of urgencyS If you feel hasty to take action or make a decision, it is a sign of telling that it is a fraud. You should always double the information you have told you or have time to consult a professional for advice. The most powerful weapon in the fight against any fraud is to pause and think. Stop, collect your thoughts, do not rush, do not harass yourself and take a deep air.
• You get threats. If you are threatened with arrest, legal action, fines, contact your employer or freezing payments and they refuse to send you any documents or evidence, usually this is A clear sign of fraudS

What if you fall victim to a self -deceased fraud?

If you ever fall victim to a self -styled fraud, your next move depends on the severity of the fraud you are in:

• If you have made a payment or bank transfer, contact your bank or credit union immediately and see if you can cancel and reverse the payment. If you have given them a credit card number, contact the card issuer to report a fraud.
• If you have given fraudsters to access any type of account, cancel this account, contact the fraud department and change your passwords. Also change all other passwords to accounts with the same login credentials.
• If you have provided your Social security number And you have not yet done it, put both a warning for fraud and freezing loans in your credit reports. You can also think Sign up for an identity theft service as Aura or a Credit Monitoring Service as Experiencing To be able to help monitor your identity online.
• Share your story with your family and friends so that they can learn from your experience.
• Report FTC FraudTo help raise awareness of fraud and help protect others.
• Report it to the local police department. This could warn them of such fraud in the area and help them get the word of the local community.