An unexpected message promising a government payment is not proof that you qualify—or that the sender is real. Don’t click its link, pay a fee, or share personal or bank details. Verify the claim by contacting the agency through contact information you find independently.
How government-payment scams work
A scammer may pose as the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, or another government office and claim you must act quickly to receive a payment, protect a benefit, fix an account, or avoid a penalty. The message may arrive by phone, email, text, or social media.
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Some messages claim that a tax refund has been approved and ask you to follow a link and enter Social Security or bank-account information. The FTC warned in January 2026 that fake tax-refund texts and emails are phishing attempts that can lead to stolen refund information or identity theft. Read the FTC’s tax-refund alert.
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A message may use an agency’s name or logo, display a convincing caller ID, cite a fake employee number, or include details about you. None of those details authenticates the sender: caller ID can be spoofed, and scammers may already know personal information. The FTC explains how government impostors use these tactics.
Warning signs to watch for
- Pressure or threats: The sender insists you act immediately, threatens a penalty, or says you will lose a benefit or payment unless you respond.
- A demand for money: The contact asks you to pay to receive money, fix a government account, or avoid a penalty. The FTC warns that government agencies will not contact people through calls, email, texts, or social media to demand money or personal information.
- Unusual payment methods: The sender asks for gift cards, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment through an app. Treat such a demand as a strong scam warning.
- A link asking for sensitive details: An unexpected message asks you to enter your Social Security number, bank or credit-card details, Medicare information, or other sensitive data to claim a payment or refund.
A useful distinction is whether you initiated contact and chose the verification channel. A number or link supplied by an unexpected message is not independent verification; find the agency’s official contact details yourself.
What to do when a payment message arrives
- Pause. Don’t let a deadline or threat rush you. If an unexpected robocall tells you to press a number, don’t do it.
- Don’t pay or disclose information. Don’t send money by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment app to someone claiming to represent a government agency. Don’t provide sensitive personal, bank, or card details in response to an unsolicited message.
- Don’t click links or open attachments. Avoid links and attachments in unexpected payment or refund messages. For tax-refund information, go to USA.gov rather than following a message link.
- Verify independently. Find the agency’s official website or contact details yourself, such as through USA.gov. Don’t call a number in the message or rely on caller ID. For information about Economic Impact Payments, the FTC’s October 2021 alert directed readers to IRS.gov; that alert is a historical example, not evidence that a current payment is open or that you qualify.
- Keep details needed to report the message, then delete it. Don’t forward it through an unverified contact channel or keep interacting with the sender.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice page, How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam (November 2023), states: “Government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information.” This warning concerns requests for money or personal information; it does not mean agencies never send unsolicited communications of any kind. See the FTC’s guidance.
Where to report a government-impersonation scam
Report the contact to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the scammer impersonated a specific agency, the FTC also points to agency-specific reporting: use the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for IRS impersonation, or the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General for Social Security impersonation.
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If you shared personal information, use IdentityTheft.gov for identity-theft recovery steps. If you entered bank or card details, contact the relevant financial institution using its official contact channel. Report the impersonation to the FTC as well. Reporting helps authorities receive information about the scam; it does not guarantee that lost money will be recovered.
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