April 11, 2022
Carson City, NV – Nevada
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford advises Nevadans to be on alert for government
imposter scams — scams that prey upon a person’s attentiveness to their
government. AG Ford will participate in a tele-town hall event to discuss
these scams with AARP of Nevada at 10:00 a.m. on April 15, 2022. Participants
will have the opportunity to call in and ask questions related to government
imposter scams. More information can be
found online here.
In a government imposter scam, the perpetrator pretends to be a
government agency or otherwise affiliated with government agencies such as the
Social Security Administration, Medicare or the IRS. The scammer usually starts
with a phone call, email, text or letter in which the scammer claims to be an
official representative of the government entity. The perpetrator will then
give you some reason why you need to send the scammer money or give them
personal information. These reasons are false, and a way for the scammer to
prey on citizens’ trust in the government and/or fear of getting in trouble
with the government in order to trick them out of sensitive information and/or
money.
“Government imposter scams are on the rise,” said AG Ford.
“During this tax season, I urge Nevadans to be mindful of the differences
between what a legitimate government entity would do and what these imposters
do.”
Common examples of government imposter scams include the scammer
claiming that a person owes taxes to the IRS; a social security number has been
compromised or suspended; or that a person’s Medicare number needs to be
verified. These scammers often use official sounding terms and language — some will even claim to have an official ID
number — and do whatever they
can to trick their target into believing them. The imposters will also attempt
to trick citizens into responding with account or personal identifying
information by creating a sense of urgency or need for the scam target to
respond as quickly as possible.
While the most common government imposter scams are scammers
pretending to be from commonly known government entities, scammers will
sometimes make up names of government entities that do not exist, such as the
National Sweepstake Bureau. These perpetrators often claim that immediate
action is required to avoid a bad consequence from taking place. The scammer is
trying to get their target to act quickly without thinking the situation
through.
While we are in the middle of tax season, it is important to
remember that the IRS (or other government entities) will not call, email or text you and ask for money or personal information.
If you receive this sort of communication, you can assume it is a scam. The Office of the Nevada Attorney General wants
you to be aware of the following tips to help you avoid government imposter
scams:
- Do
not wire money, send cash, use gift cards or use cryptocurrency to pay
someone who says they are from the government. Once you send money these
ways, it is often nearly impossible to get your money back.
- Do not give out
your personal information to someone who calls, texts or emails you and
claims to be from the government. If you are concerned, hang up the phone
and call the government entity back directly. You can find the legitimate
entity number on the government entity’s official website.
- Do not believe
someone who calls claiming to be from a government entity just because the
caller ID says so. Through a technology called “spoofing,” a scammer can
make the caller ID show the government agency’s real number, or even say
something like “IRS” on the caller ID. This is fraudulent and the caller
could actually be anywhere in the world.
- Do
not click on links in emails, text messages or messages you receive
online. Scammers will often send links that look official but are designed
to steal your personal information. Do not click on the message and
delete it right away.
- If
you really owe taxes to the IRS, the IRS will contact you by U.S. mail.
- Government
entities such as the IRS and the Social Security Administration will not
threaten to arrest you and will not ask you to pay anything over the phone
or by gift card.
- If
someone contacts you claiming to be a government entity and uses any sort
of scare tactic or pressures you to take immediate action, you can assume
it is a scam.
- A
government entity will not call you and immediately ask you to verify your
identity by providing personal information.
If you have been a victim of
a government imposter scam, you may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Include
as much information as possible with your complaint, including any information
you have about the person that contacted you such as social media accounts,
names and phone numbers.
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