Government & benefits scams

The IRS contacts people by post first. It does not call demanding immediate payment, does not threaten arrest or deportation over the phone, does not email or text about refunds, and never accepts gift cards, wires or crypto. Any contact that does any of those things is an impersonation, without exception.

Social Security scams involve phone calls or letters claiming your Social Security number has been suspended, compromised, or linked to criminal activity. The SSA will never call to threaten you, demand immediate payment, or ask you to pay with gift cards or cryptocurrency. Your Social Security number cannot be "suspended."

Medicare scams target seniors and people with disabilities through fake calls about new Medicare cards, free medical equipment, or required "benefits reviews." Medicare will never call you unsolicited to ask for your Medicare number, offer free products in exchange for your ID, or threaten to cancel your coverage.

DMV scams are dominated by text messages: an unpaid registration fee, a suspended licence, a final notice before penalties. Your state DMV does not demand payment by text with a link, and every real DMV service is on a .gov site for the official fee.

The main unemployment scam is a claim filed in your name using stolen personal data, which you usually discover through your employer or a 1099-G tax form for benefits you never received. Report it to your state agency and the IRS, and freeze your credit.

Student loan forgiveness scams charge a fee for something that is free. Every genuine federal repayment, consolidation and forgiveness programme is available at no cost at studentaid.gov, and charging a fee in advance for student loan relief is illegal.

Medicaid scams target renewal and redetermination: a caller says your coverage is about to lapse and needs personal details or a fee to keep it active. Medicaid never charges a fee to apply or renew, and your state agency contacts you by post, not by demanding payment on a call.

SNAP benefits are stolen mostly by card skimming: a device fitted over a store card reader copies your EBT card and PIN, and the balance is drained the day benefits load. Most EBT cards have no chip, which is why this works. Change your PIN often and check your balance the day funds arrive.

USCIS scams demand payment by phone, gift card or wire for immigration fees, threaten deportation, or sell services only a lawyer or accredited representative can provide. USCIS never calls to demand money, and every real fee is paid at uscis.gov or by the methods on the official form instructions.

CBP scams come in two shapes: a call saying a package in your name was seized containing drugs or cash, and fake Global Entry renewal sites charging far more than the real $120 fee. CBP does not call people about seized parcels, and Global Entry is renewed only at ttp.dhs.gov.

The jury duty scam is a call saying you missed federal jury service and face a fine or arrest unless you pay immediately. No court or US Marshal collects fines by phone, and no court takes payment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.

The FBI does not call people to demand money, threaten arrest, or ask you to move funds to a safe account. FBI impersonation is used both to frighten money out of people and, cruelly, to re-target scam victims with fake offers to recover what they lost.