ABA Foundation & Government Agencies Release New Infographic to Help Americans Spot and Avoid Government Imposter Scams

As government imposter scams continue to rise nationwide, the ABA Foundation, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, today released a new infographic designed to help consumers identify and avoid increasingly sophisticated schemes. The resource explains how government imposter scams operate, highlights actions that legitimate government representatives, law enforcement and regulators would never engage in, provides clear guidance on how consumers can protect themselves, and outlines what steps to take if they suspect they’ve been victimized. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans filed 332,796 reports regarding government imposter scams between January and September 2025, totaling $739 million in losses, underscoring the magnitude of this threat.

“Government imposter scams have become alarmingly sophisticated, with criminals using spoofed phone numbers, fake credentials and urgent, manipulative narratives to pressure consumers,” said Sam Kunjukunju, vice president of consumer education for the ABA Foundation. “This new infographic gives consumers clear, actionable steps to spot red flags and protect themselves from these dangerous schemes.”

Scams often start with unexpected contact – a call, text, email or social media message from someone posing as a representative of the FBI, Secret Service, local police or regulators. They might claim that a victim’s financial accounts were “compromised,” that their identity was stolen, or that they face imminent arrest. Victims are then pushed to act quickly—sometimes being instructed to withdraw cash, buy gold, hand valuables to a courier, wire money, purchase cryptocurrency, or share sensitive personal information.

What Government Agencies, Law Enforcement and Regulators Will Never Do:

• Call, text or direct message to demand immediate payment or threaten arrest.
• Pressure consumers to move or wire money, transfer investments, or buy or invest in gold, other precious metals or cryptocurrency.
• Require payments via gift cards, peer-to-peer payment apps (e.g., CashApp, Venmo, Zelle) or crypto ATMs.
• Send couriers to collect cash, gold or other valuables.

Tips to Protect Yourself:

• Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can spoof phone numbers. If they leave you a callback number, don’t use it.
• Avoid clicking. Don’t click links in unexpected messages or emails. Delete them.
• Verify independently. Only use contact information from official sources, such as government websites or the back of your bank card.

This infographic adds to the ABA Foundation’s suite of consumer education and fraud prevention tools, including its Safe Banking for Seniors program, designed to help individuals safeguard their finances and personal information. All ABA Foundation resources are free to both members and non-member banks. 
 
To view the full infographic, visit https://www.aba.com/news-research/analysis-guides/government-imposter-scams.