Spot impersonator scams and share what you know

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During Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s take a moment to look at impersonator scams,** **which are the issue reported most to the FTC by people living in majority Latino communities. These scams happen when someone pretends to be someone they’re not — say, from a government agency or a well-known business — and tries to get you to pay or give them sensitive information. And if you don’t, they say something bad will happen. But it’s a scam.

To avoid impersonator scams:

• **Don’t wire money, send cash, or use gift cards or cryptocurrency to pay someone who says they’re with the government. Know that the government will never contact you out of the blue, demanding money or information. **Hang up. It’s a scam.
• **Never pay anyone who demands payment by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency. **Only scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and almost impossible to get it back. Hang up if it’s a call. If it’s an email, text, or message on social media, don’t click any links.
• Don’t trust your caller ID. It might show the government agency’s real phone number or even say “Social Security Administration,” for example. But caller ID can be faked.

If you come across something you think is a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or, in Spanish, at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov. And watch Why Report Fraud to learn how your report can help stop scammers.

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