Beware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash

Impersonation scams are often used by scammers to steal your hard-earned money, and their latest trick involves posing as government officials. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning that scammers are trying to impersonate its officials and ask people to wire money, send cash, use cryptocurrency or purchase gift cards.

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A woman about to answer an unknown call (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

What you need to know about scammers impersonating the government

In a notice on its site, CISA has warned Americans that phone scammers have begun impersonating the agency online. CISA is a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is responsible for maintaining the security, resilience and reliability of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure.

"Impersonation scams are on the rise and often use the names and titles of government employees. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is aware of recent impersonation scammers claiming to represent the agency," CISA said in the notice.

"As a reminder, although CISA staff will occasionally contact organizations with important notifications, CISA staff will never contact you with a request to wire money, cash, cryptocurrency, or use gift cards and will never instruct you to keep the discussion secret," the agency added.

Scammers often claim to represent a company or organization when they try to scam you over a call – remember the famous Microsoft customer support calls? However, it becomes more effective when they claim to represent a government.

CISA advises you to hang up immediately when scammers ask for money and note their number. You can validate the contact by calling CISA at 844-SAY-CISA (844-729-2472) or report it to law enforcement.

CISA is not the only agency being impersonated by scammers. Government agencies like the CIA and FTC are also frequently targeted. A recent example involves Charlotte Cowles, a financial advice columnist, who was scammed out of $50,000 by people posing as government officials. She shared her experience to help others from being scammed.

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A person about to answer an unknown call (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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What is the impact of impersonation scams?

Impersonation scams have led to huge monetary losses. Americans lost over a billion dollars to scammers impersonating businesses or government agencies in 2023, the Federal Trade Commission said in April.

The FBI’s IC3 reports suggest these scammers mainly targeted older Americans, stealing $589.8 million from individuals over 60 in tech support scams and $179.6 million by impersonating the government.

A man about to give out financial information over the phone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

6 ways to avoid impersonation scams

You can avoid impersonation scams by being careful and following some of the tips I've listed below.

1) Stay updated: The first step in protecting yourself from government impersonation fraud is simply being educated about it. Keep yourself updated about these scams and other scams – by reading the news and subscribing to sites like CyberGuy and my free CyberGuy report newsletter here.

2) Never send money: Government agencies will never ask you to wire money or use gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment apps for payment. Scammers insist on these methods because the money is hard to track and even harder to recover.

3) Remove your personal information from the web: Your personal information is out on the web, and scammers use it to scam you. If you want to make your personal information inaccessible, you might want to look into data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

4) Don’t trust your caller ID: Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number or name, like "Social Security Administration." But caller ID can be faked. It could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world.

5) Invest in identity theft monitoring services: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

6) Avoid unknown links and downloads: Do not click on links or download attachments from unknown sources, as they may contain malware. The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have strong antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

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Kurt's key takeaway

Scammers pretending to be from government agencies are really concerning because it's easy to believe them and end up giving away your money. If you get a call like this, stay calm and don’t transfer any money. Hang up, check if the number is real, and if you're unsure, report it to law enforcement. The government should also do a better job of telling people about these phishing scams and what to do or not do.

Have you ever received a call from someone claiming to be a government official? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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