Scammers Are Raking In Millions By Impersonating Us Government Officials

Americans lost nearly $800 million last year from scammers pretending to be U.S. government officials, according to a new report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, which details the most lucrative schemes for cybercriminals each year.

The FBI received more than 32,000 reports of the government impersonation scheme last year — a nearly 50 percent spike in complaints compared to 2024.

The scam follows a familiar playbook: Criminals pose as an authority figure to persuade victims to relinquish personal information, such as bank details or Social Security numbers, for fear of retribution.

Last year, the Metropolitan Police Department warned that fraudsters were masquerading as local police officers by spoofing real police phone numbers to defraud Washington residents.

The scam has even reached the upper echelons of government, with criminals posing assenior U.S. officials —including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — to uncover government secrets.

FBI Special Agent Ronald Miller said during a briefing with reporters on Monday that government impersonation scams “have been consistently on the rise over the years.” He added that the operations have most often been linked to fraudulent call centers in India, where scammers also impersonate tech support offices of reputable companies. “Complaints in 2025 for tech support and government impersonation scams resulted in over $3 billion,” Miller said.

Local law enforcement has expanded its warnings about these impersonation schemes in recent weeks.

Last week, the FBI’s Philadelphia branch told residents to watch out for scammers posing as government and law enforcement officials to extort money or steal personal information. And Baltimore Police warned residents over the weekend that cybercriminals were posing as police officers to convince victims that a warrant was issued for their arrest, and demanding immediate payment to avoid jail time.

While criminals have targeted Americans of all ages, Miller specified that older adults were more likely to be targeted, in part due to that generation's broader trust in U.S. law enforcement. “Call centers targeting elders utilize … government impersonation scams because most people respect law enforcement from that generation, the elders,” he said.