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Scam Calls: Government Impersonators

Robocalls made by scammers who are posing as a government agency, such as the IRS, are referred to as "government scams". The callers try to extract the receivers’ private information in order to steal their money or identity. The most common agency government scams try to pose as is the IRS. They will usually tell you that you are under investigation for tax fraud or are about to be arrested for not paying your taxes. The caller will ask for your social security number and your banking information, as they are trying to steal from you. No matter how convincing the call may be, it is important not to give this information to them. They may know your full legal name and address, but remember no government agency will ask you for this information over the phone in order for you to not be arrested. Other agencies that robocalls try to impersonate are the Social Security Administration, FBI, and Medicare. It is best to just hang up on these scammers if you do ever get a call from them. However, if you do become worried that you are in trouble with the government, you can always look up the number of the real agency, and call them. They will be able to tell you if it was actually them calling you or not.