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Scam guide

Calls and Letters That Claim To Be From the Government

A message that appears to come from a government office carries built-in authority, which is exactly why it is imitated so often. The reassuring part is that real agencies work slowly and in writing, and they are easy to reach on a number you find yourself.

Reviewed September 22, 2026

The short answer

Government agencies do not phone to demand immediate payment, and they do not threaten arrest over the phone. End the call and contact the agency on a number from its official website, which you look up yourself.

Common warning signs

  • The call claims you owe a tax, a fine, or an overpayment and must settle it today.
  • You are threatened with arrest, deportation, a court date, or the loss of a benefit.
  • Payment is requested by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or cash sent by post.
  • You are asked to confirm a Social Security number, a Medicare number, or a bank account to receive something.
  • A letter, email, or text sends you to a web address that is not the agency's own site.

What to do instead

  1. Take the pressure out of it. A genuine matter with a government office will still be there tomorrow.
  2. End the call. You do not have to stay on the line, and you are not required to answer questions.
  3. Look the agency up independently and phone the number on its own website—never a number from the message.
  4. Ask the agency plainly whether the matter is real. They expect that question and are used to answering it.
  5. Report the impersonation attempt so the agency and the FTC can see the pattern.

If you paid or shared information

What to do next depends on what was shared. Work through whichever of these applies, starting with money.

  1. If money was sent, contact the bank, card company, wire service, gift-card issuer, or payment app immediately and say it was fraud.
  2. If a Social Security number was shared, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the recovery plan it gives you.
  3. If a Medicare or health plan number was shared, tell the plan directly and ask them to watch for unfamiliar claims.
  4. Report the impersonation to the FTC and to the agency that was imitated.
  5. Expect follow-up contact. People who have paid once are often approached again with an offer to recover the money.
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Common questions

Can a call really show a government agency's phone number?
Yes. The number shown on caller ID can be set by whoever places the call, so an official-looking number proves nothing at all. The only reliable check is to hang up and dial a number you looked up yourself.
Does the government ever call about money owed?
Agencies generally write first and allow time to respond, and they do not demand immediate payment by phone or threaten arrest. If a call opens that way, you can end it and check in writing instead.
Someone offered to help me get my money back. Is that real?
Be careful with that one. People who have already paid are often contacted again by someone offering recovery for an upfront fee, and that second approach is a scam in its own right.

Practice this safely

Practice ending an official-sounding call calmly and checking the claim on a number you looked up yourself.

Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.

Start the four-story practice

Official sources

These links open official U.S. government guidance in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.

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Related scam guides

This page provides general educational information. It cannot determine whether a specific message is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.