FTC warns of new twist in impersonation scam using the agency’s name

Imagine getting a call from someone claiming to work for the FTC. The caller tells you a phone registered with your name and number is being used to scam people in another country. Failure to cooperate can “end” with your number being “deactivated.”

Would you believe it? If the answer is NO, you’re completely right—the FTC recently issued a warning on this new twist on government impersonation scams. 

Key takeaways

• Scammers posing as FTC officials claim your phone number is linked to crimes overseas
• They use fake badge numbers, police officers, and arrest threats to make the story believable
• Victims may be encouraged to look up and call a supposed police department as part of a fake verification process
• The goal is to collect personal information and pressure victims into paying a fake security deposit

How the scam works

The agency says this scam begins with an unsolicited phone call from someone impersonating an FTC employee. The caller claims your identity and phone number are linked to fraudulent activity overseas and that you need to cooperate with their investigation.

The scammer also has tricks up their sleeve to make the call seem legitimate. First, the perpetrator gives you a badge ID and says they can transfer you to a so-called police office handling the investigation.

Here's where the scam gets particularly deceptive.

Depending on how you respond, the caller may take one of two approaches.

Someone who feels frightened or overwhelmed by the accusation may agree to be transferred directly to the supposed police officer. If you’re uncooperative, they might say they’ll deactivate your number. The threat of losing a phone number or being implicated in crimes abroad may be enough to persuade somebody to cooperate without asking too many questions.

But what happens when the prospective victim is more cautious?

If you keep questioning the caller's identity, they may encourage you to contact the police department yourself. They'll even tell you what to search for online to find the number.

That's what makes this tactic so convincing.

A good cybersecurity habit is to verify suspicious calls by looking up official contact information ourselves. So, when a caller doesn't insist on an immediate transfer and instead encourages you to check, it can feel like a sign of legitimacy.

You might think, “If this were a scam, why would they let me verify the information myself?”

But you're not necessarily verifying anything independently. You're still following the caller's directions. The number they steer you toward connects you to other people involved in the scam.

In both scenarios, the goal is the same: get you speaking with a fake police officer who will ask for personal information, create a sense of urgency, and eventually demand money.

Remember this:  Looking up a phone number is a good security habit, but only when you're genuinely choosing the source yourself. If a suspicious caller tells you exactly what to search for, which result to trust, or whom to contact, they may still be controlling the process.

Once you're speaking with the supposed police officer, you're asked to provide identification documents and other personal information to file an official report. You're also instructed to keep the investigation secret.

Then comes another threat.

The caller claims you're under arrest for crimes linked to your phone number and that you must travel to another country to face the consequences.

But guess what? There’s a way to avoid all of this: pay a security deposit. Easy right?

What the FTC wants you to know

The FTC makes it clear that its employees never:

• Contact you to demand money or transfer you to someone who does
• Threaten to disconnect your phone service
• Tell you to keep conversations with them secret
• Text you a photograph of an employee ID as proof of their identity

A badge number, official title, or convincing police officer on the phone is not proof that a caller is legitimate.

How to stay safe

If you receive a call like this, here's what to do:

• Hang up. Don't continue the conversation or follow instructions to contact another person or department.
• Verify independently. Visit the official FTC website at ftc.gov or contact the relevant authorities using contact information YOU FOUND INDEPENDENTLY, not search terms or numbers supplied by the caller.
• Never share personal documents. Don't send photos of your ID, passport, or other sensitive information to someone who contacted you unexpectedly.
• Don't pay to avoid arrest. Legitimate authorities don't resolve criminal accusations by demanding security deposits over the phone.
• Check suspicious messages and links. Use Bitdefender Scamio for a second opinion or Bitdefender Link Checker to inspect a suspicious website before visiting it for free.
• Report the attempt. In the US, report FTC impersonation scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you’re a non-US reader targeted by similar scams in your area, here’s a handy guide on where you can report scams in your region.

How Bitdefender can help protect you from impersonation scams

Impersonation scams can start with a phone call, text message, or even a message on a popular chat app. Bitdefender's security solutions include multiple layers of Scam Protection designed to detect and block suspicious activity across these channels.

For Android users, Call Protection helps identify and block known scam and spam calls, while SMS Protection scans incoming text messages for scams and dangerous links. Additional layers include Scam Notification Protection, which analyzes app notifications, and Chat Protection, which monitors messages on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Discord for potential scams.

On iOS, SMS Protection helps identify malicious text messages, while Calendar Invites Protection detects dangerous links hidden in calendar events.

While these tools can help detect and stop many scam attempts, no security solution can prevent every instance of social engineering, particularly when someone is being manipulated during a live phone conversation.

That’s why verifying someone's identity works only when you choose the source independently, rather than following instructions from the person you're trying to verify.

You may also want to read:

• FTC takes down 19 fake government websites, cracks down on impersonation scams
• How to Outsmart AI Voice Scammers Pretending to Be Your Family