Slam the Scam Day 2026: The rise of AI-powered impersonation scams

What would you do if someone claiming to be your national tax authority or a government benefits agency called you today? Would you believe them?

Slam the Scam Day began as an awareness initiative focused on government impostor scams where fraudsters pretending to be from agencies like Social Security in the U.S., HMRC in the UK, tax authorities in the EU, or public service institutions in Australia and Canada. But by 2026, this issue is no longer confined to a few countries. Government impersonation scams are now a global problem. And they’ve evolved into something even broader: AI-powered impersonation at scale.

Key takeaways:

• In 2025, the FTC received over 330,000 complaints about government imposter scams – a 25% year-over-year increase
• 57% of adults globally were scammed last year, according to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA)
• 73% of consumers believe they can spot scams, yet 23% said they have lost money.
• More than 7 in 10 consumers encountered scams in the past year, according to Bitdefender’s 2025 Consumer Cybersecurity Survey
• 37% of consumers say AI-powered scams, including deepfake voice and video are their biggest concern

The numbers tell a clear story

Government Impersonation scams are not isolated incidents – they continue to proliferate rapidly, with more than 330,000 complaints submitted to the FTC in 2025.

According to GASA’s latest stats, over half of adults worldwide have been scammed in 2025. Consumers are very confident they can recognize scams, but losses remain widespread. Take Bitdefender’s latest survey data, which shows more than 7 in 10 consumers encountered scams in 2025. What’s worse is that 1 in 7 confirmed they had fallen victim.

On Slam the Scam Day, we’re urging people to slow down before reacting, because impersonation scams are no longer obvious. They’re increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, amplified by stolen data, and designed to create instant emotional pressure. And consumers are noticing: 37% say AI-powered scams, including deepfake voice and video, are now their biggest concern, according to our latest Consumer Cybersecurity Survey.

How government impersonation scams work

Imposter scams, including those leveraging highly trusted government entities, follow a similar script:

Step 1: The initial contact

Most of these scams begin with an unsolicited phone call, where the scammer might claim to represent your local Social Security agency, tax authorities like the IRS, Medicare, a federal benefits agency, or local law enforcement agency.

Caller ID spoofing makes the number look legitimate and AI voice tools can help the scammer sound natural, authoritative, and composed.

Step 2: Establishing authority

The scammer will want to establish credibility and trust by confirming personal information (often obtained from data leaks) or other publicly available information. This includes:

• Your full name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Last four digits of SSN

Step 3: Create urgency and fear

Then comes the pressure:

• Your account is frozen
• There is suspicious activity
• You owe unpaid taxes
• An arrest warrant has been issued
• Your benefits will be terminated

Step 4: Force immediate action

Victims are instructed to:

• Transfer funds
• Buy gift cards
• Wire money
• Send cryptocurrency
• Provide banking credentials
• Install remote access software

The scammer will often insist you stay on the line, preventing you from verifying independently.

In some cases, rather than asking for wire transfers or gift cards, scammers try to trick victims into buying precious metals like gold and sending them as “payment” or “proof of compliance,” a tactic that law enforcement and consumer alerts have specifically flagged because it’s nearly impossible to trace once shipped.

AI now makes these scripts smoother and more convincing, removing the awkward pauses and grammar mistakes that once belied fraud.

A common example: Jury duty and court impersonation scams

One example of government impersonation fraud that’s resurfaced with added sophistication is the jury duty scam. Authorities have repeatedly warned the public about it. In these schemes, scammers call or email victims claiming they missed jury duty. They then threaten fines, arrest, or legal consequences unless a “fine” is paid immediately or personal information is entered on a provided website. The caller may even appear to come from law enforcement or a court (complete with spoofed phone numbers and official-sounding language) to make the scam feel legitimate.

These sites then claim victims owe thousands of dollars in fines and may request payment via untraceable methods such as cryptocurrency or prepaid cards.

Importantly, real courts and law enforcement never:

• Call or email to threaten arrest for missed jury duty
• Demand payment over the phone or via gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers
• Ask for sensitive personal information online through unsolicited links

Why AI is making impersonation more dangerous

Artificial intelligence lowers the entry barrier for criminals, as they no longer need strong language skills or rehearsed scripts. Technology can help them establish trust and legitimacy by:

• Generating flawless emails
• Cloning voices from short audio samples
• Producing realistic voicemail recordings
• Personalizing scripts at scale
• Automating thousands of calls per hour

This means the traditional red flags people once relied on, such as bad grammar, broken English, and robotic tones, are no longer the ultimate telltale signs. And because scammers often combine AI with personal data from breaches, the attack feels even more targeted and believable.

How to Slam the Scam in 2026

Check suspicious messages before responding

If you receive a text, email, or social media message that claims to come from a government agency, bank, or court, don’t reply immediately.

Instead, run it through Bitdefender Scamio for free. Scamio analyzes suspicious messages using AI to identify common scam patterns and red flags. It’s free and designed specifically for moments when something doesn’t feel quite right.

When scammers use AI, it makes sense to let defensive AI evaluate the message before you engage.

Never click first — verify the link

Impersonation scams often escalate into phishing websites designed to mimic government portals, tax platforms, or court payment pages.

Before clicking, paste the link into Bitdefender Link Checker for free. It scans URLs for malicious or fraudulent behavior and helps you determine whether a site is legitimate before you interact with it.

Verify the phone number before calling back

Phone-based impersonation remains one of the most effective tactics. If you receive a suspicious call, don’t rely on caller ID alone. Use Bitdefender’s FREE Reverse Phone Lookup service to check whether the number has been reported or associated with known scam activity before calling back.

Block repeat scam callers

Many impersonation campaigns rely on repeated attempts. If you answer once, they may call back. Mobile protection tools that include call blocking and scam call detection can automatically flag or block known fraudulent numbers, reducing your exposure before you even pick up the phone.

Pause when pressured

If there’s something you and your family should remember is that legitimate government agencies do not demand urgent payment via gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers.

Verify independently, always

If something feels off, it’s OK to just hang up and contact the agency using the official website number.

Protect every device

Install security software on both your phone and computer. Bitdefender security solutions provide scam detection for malicious links in messages, phishing protection, real-time malware blocking, and even call blocking features (for Android) that can automatically flag or block known scam numbers.

One last word of advice: talk about scams with elderly family members

Slam the Scam Day isn’t just about protecting yourself. It’s about protecting the people around you.

Older adults are often targeted in government impersonation scams for a simple reason: scammers believe they are more likely to trust authority and less likely to question official-sounding calls.

A simple conversation can make a difference:

• Remind older relatives that government agencies do not demand payment via gift cards, crypto, wire transfers, or gold
• Encourage them to hang up and verify independently
• Show them how to use Reverse Phone Lookup tools
• Explain that AI can now clone voices and mimic officials convincingly