What to Know and How to Protect Yourself
Government imposter scams remain one of the most reported fraud categories. Scammers may pretend to represent agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, law enforcement, toll agencies, or other government offices. They often use urgent threats, spoofed contact information, and requests for unusual payments or personal information. Here are current scam examples and practical steps you can take to protect yourself.
For current fraud alerts and reporting resources, visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov and consumer.ftc.gov.
Medicare Scams
Medicare fraud and impersonation scams may involve calls, messages, mail, or online ads offering fake plans, unnecessary medical equipment, or requests to “confirm” your Medicare number. Medicare will not call or visit you unexpectedly to sell products or ask for your information. Never share your Medicare number with someone who contacts you out of the blue.
Review Medicare statements carefully and ask your provider or plan to explain anything that looks unfamiliar. If you suspect fraud, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or your local Senior Medicare Patrol. If someone used your information for medical care or services, report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
Government Payment and Toll Scams
Scammers may contact you pretending to be from a government agency and claim you owe money, missed a toll payment, are under investigation, or must act immediately to protect your benefits or accounts. They may demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, payment app, or cash pickup. Real government agencies will not threaten immediate arrest, pressure you to move money or require payment through these methods. If you receive an unexpected request for payment claiming to be from a government agency, independently verify the request through official government contact information before taking any action.
Unemployment Application Callbacks
If you have applied for unemployment and have not been able to complete the application due to high call volume, the Department of Labor may call back from a private phone line. The state employee should readily provide the claim type and filing date to validate the legitimacy of the call. Do not provide this information first; let the agency ask you to verify the information it already has and reads back to you. Any caller claiming to be from the Department of Labor should already know this information.
Small Business Administration Scams
If someone contacts your business with an unexpected invoice, payment change request, loan offer, or urgent request for sensitive information, slow down and verify it through a trusted source. Locate a verified phone number or other trusted contact method and confirm the request directly with the organization before sending money or sharing sensitive information. Scammers may impersonate vendors, lenders, government agencies, or executives and may use convincing emails, lookalike domains, or altered invoices. Make sure your staff knows how to verify payment instructions before sending money.
Becoming aware of these scams, challenging the legitimacy of those at the other end of the communication, ignoring suspicious advertisements and emails, and hanging up on calls you are uncertain about are all simple and effective ways to handle imposter government scams.
For more information on how to avoid scams, visit our Five Star Bank Security Center.
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