When you hear from the “Government,” think twice.

Government imposter scams are a fact of life, and they’re on the rise.

Scammers can reach you anywhere — by phone, text, email, social media, and even in-person encounters. And they know exactly what to say to persuade you that they’re trying to help you instead of steal from you. There are many variations on government scams because there are shameless opportunists, and their tactics evolve every day.

The scam

Among the most commonly reported government imposter scams (details may vary) are:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scams: You get a warning that authorities will arrest you if you don’t immediately pay money (that you don’t really owe) to the IRS.  
• Social Security scams: You get a message that your Social Security benefits are in jeopardy — maybe they’re expiring or will be suspended because you owe money (which you don’t).
• Medicare scams: The scammer notifies you that you have a new benefits card waiting; they want to help you sign up or change your plan. Or they say you’re eligible for some new medical device or service.
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) scams: A contact claiming to be from the DHS says they want to connect you with heath programs or eldercare services.

Government scammers often take advantage of current events — such as Medicare open enrollment period, tax season, or news about changing benefits due to federal government budget cuts — so the content of their scam aligns with legitimate circumstances.

Note these red flags

Scammers want your money, and many of them will ask you for it directly. Not only will they ask you to pay them, they’ll tell you how you need to send the money. You’re likely being scammed if someone you don’t know asks you to pay using these methods:

• Gift cards
• Cryptocurrency
• Payment apps (Zelle, CashApp, PayPal, etc.)
• Wire services (MoneyGram, Western Union)
• Cash (sent via mail or courier)

Protect yourself

Remember: You can never trust the number on your caller ID or the email address in your inbox. Scammers can easily use technology to mimic the real thing.

Train yourself to approach with healthy skepticism every interaction with a person you don’t know. Don’t worry about being rude — you’re looking after your own best interests. It’s perfectly OK to hang up on a call, delete an email or just ignore the communication altogether.

If you think a government agency may genuinely be trying to contact you, take matters into your own hands. Find its official contact information on its website (never trust a phone number from caller ID or a link in an email) and reach out directly.

If you get fooled …

If you fall for a scam, you’re not alone. These scammers are very skilled, and their behavior is not your fault.

If criminals do trick you into sharing your personal information, take your money, or deceive you in another way, follow this advice from the Federal Trade Commission about what to do next.