Impersonation & Authority · Fraud Guide
Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams
Also known as: Police Scam, Sheriff Scam, DEA Scam, FBI Impersonation
HIGH
Severity
$5,000–$50,000
Typical Loss
1,967
Articles in Archive
Who is targeted: Older adults who respect authority and are inclined to comply with law enforcement requests.
Caller ID spoofing technology makes calls appear to come from real police department numbers.
Phase 1 · Awareness
▼
Real police never call demanding payment.
A caller claims to be from the police, sheriff, FBI, or DEA. They say you've missed jury duty, have an outstanding warrant, or are connected to a crime. They demand immediate payment to resolve the ma...
Key signs:
⚠ A law enforcement officer calls and demands payment by phone.
⚠ Payment required via gift cards or cryptocurrency.
⚠ Threats of immediate arrest.
A caller claims to be from the police, sheriff, FBI, or DEA. They say you've missed jury duty, have an outstanding warrant, or are connected to a crime. They demand immediate payment to resolve the matter. Real law enforcement does not operate this way.
How It Works
1
You receive a call that appears to come from a real law enforcement number.
2
The caller provides a badge number and sounds authoritative.
3
They claim you have a warrant or missed jury duty.
4
They demand payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
5
If you hesitate, they threaten immediate arrest.
All Warning Signs
⚠ A law enforcement officer calls and demands payment by phone.
⚠ Payment required via gift cards or cryptocurrency.
⚠ Threats of immediate arrest.
⚠ Told not to tell anyone about the call.
⚠ Asked to stay on the phone while buying gift cards.
Phase 2 · Prevention
▼
How real law enforcement actually contacts you.
Police never demand payment by phone.
If you had a warrant, you'd be contacted in person or by official mail.
Hang up and call the agency directly.
Look up the real phone number yourself.
No government agency accepts gift cards.
This is always a scam, regardless of who the caller claims to be.
Police never demand payment by phone.
If you had a warrant, you'd be contacted in person or by official mail.
Hang up and call the agency directly.
Look up the real phone number yourself.
No government agency accepts gift cards.
This is always a scam, regardless of who the caller claims to be.
Tell your family about this scam.
Make sure older family members know to hang up and call you first.
Phase 3 · Detection
▼
Recognizing a law enforcement impersonation in progress.
Watch for:
🔍 Someone claiming to be police is asking for payment.
🔍 You're told to stay on the phone while going to a store.
🔍 The caller creates extreme urgency.
Immediate action:
→ Hang up immediately.
All Warning Signals
🔍 Someone claiming to be police is asking for payment.
🔍 You're told to stay on the phone while going to a store.
🔍 The caller creates extreme urgency.
🔍 You've been told not to speak to anyone.
What To Do Right Now
→ Hang up immediately.
→ Call your local police non-emergency number to verify.
→ Do not buy gift cards or send money.
→ Report at ic3.gov.
Phase 4 · Recovery
▼
Recovery after a law enforcement impersonation scam.
First steps:
→ Contact gift card companies or wire service immediately.
→ File at ic3.gov — the FBI's Recovery Asset Team may help.
→ Report to your local police department.
Financial Recovery
→ Contact gift card companies or wire service immediately.
→ File at ic3.gov — the FBI's Recovery Asset Team may help.
→ Report to your local police department.
Emotional Recovery
Being threatened with arrest is terrifying. Your response was natural.
These scammers use real badge numbers and spoofed phone numbers.
Contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.
From the Archive
1,967 articles about law enforcement impersonation scams
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