Identity fraud is something scammers often use to steal your hard-earned money, and the latest technique involves posing as a government official. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning that scammers are attempting to impersonate agency employees and ask people to make wire transfers, cash transfers, spend virtual currency, or purchase gift cards.
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What you need to know about scammers impersonating the government
in news CISA warned Americans on its site that telephone scammers are impersonating CISA online. CISA is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is responsible for maintaining the security, resilience, and reliability of the nation's cyber and physical infrastructure.
“Identity fraud is on the rise, often using the name or title of a government official. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is aware of recent identity fraudsters claiming to be representatives of the agency.” CISA said in the notice.
“As a reminder, while CISA staff may contact organizations with important notices, CISA staff will never contact you to request transfers, cash, cryptocurrency transfers or gift card redemptions. “We do not, nor will we instruct you to keep any discussions confidential,” the agency added.
Scammers often claim to represent a company or organization when trying to scam you over the phone. Remember the famous Microsoft customer support call? But it's even more effective when they claim to represent the government.
CISA advises that if a scammer asks you for money, hang up immediately and write down the number. You can contact CISA by calling 844-SAY-CISA (844-729-2472) or report it to law enforcement.
CISA is not the only government agency impersonated by fraudsters. Government agencies such as the CIA The FTC is also a frequent target.. A recent example is when financial advice columnist Charlotte Cowles was scammed out of $50,000 by people posing as government officials. She shared her experience to protect others from scams.
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A person trying to answer an unknown phone call (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
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What is the impact of identity fraud?
Identity fraud causes huge financial losses. american lost more than $1 billion In April, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it would begin regulating fraudsters impersonating companies and government agencies in 2023.
The FBI's IC3 report suggests that: Scammers primarily targeted older Americansstole $589.8 million from individuals over the age of 60 through tech support fraud and $179.6 million by impersonating the government.
A man tries to provide financial information over the phone (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
6 ways to prevent identity theft
You can avoid identity theft by carefully following some tips below.
1) Stay informed: The first step to protecting yourself from government impersonation scams is to become educated about it. Stay up to date on these and other scams by reading our news and subscribing to sites like: Click here for CyberGuy and the free CyberGuy Report Newsletter.
2) Never send money: Government agencies will never ask you to send a wire transfer or use gift cards, virtual currency, or payment apps to pay. Scammers insist on these methods because the funds are difficult to trace and even harder to recover.
3) Remove personal information from the web. Your personal information will be exposed on the web and scammers will use it to scam you. If you want to ensure that your personal information is no longer accessible, we recommend that you consider a data deletion service. No service promises to remove all data from the Internet, but if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing information from hundreds of sites over an extended period of time, a removal service is a good option. is the best. Check out my recommended data deletion services here.
4) Don't trust caller ID. The caller ID may display the actual phone number or name of a government agency, such as “Social Security Administration.” However, caller ID can be faked. Anyone can call you from anywhere in the world.
5) Invest in an identity theft monitoring service. Identity theft companies monitor your personal information, such as your social security number, phone number, and email address, and alert you if it is sold on the dark web or used to open an account. It can also help freeze bank and credit card accounts to prevent further misuse by criminals. Check out our tips and recommendations on how to protect yourself from identity theft..
6) Avoid unknown links and downloads. Do not click on links or download attachments from unknown sources as they may contain malware. Installing strong antivirus protection on all your devices is the best way to avoid clicking on malicious links that install malware that can access your personal information. This can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams. Keep your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best antivirus protection products of 2024 for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
Cart important points
Scammers pretending to be government agencies are a big concern because it's easy to believe them and hand over your money. If you receive a call like this, please remain calm and do not send money. Hang up, check if the number is genuine, and if you're not sure, call law enforcement. The government should also tell people more about what they should and should not do about these phishing scams.
Have you ever received a call from someone claiming to be a government employee? How did you deal with it? Please email us. Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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