FBI Impersonation Scam Calls: Real Agent Names, Spoofed Numbers and How to Stay Safe

An FBI impersonation scam call is a phone call from someone claiming to be an FBI agent (or a DEA, Secret Service or other federal officer) who says you’re in legal trouble and must pay or move money to fix it. The real FBI never calls to demand money, and it never asks for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards or prepaid cards. If you get one of these calls, hang up, don’t call back the number on your screen, and report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or ic3.gov.

These calls have become harder to spot. Scammers now use the names of real agents and fake the caller ID so it shows a genuine government number. This guide explains how that works, the scripts they use, how to check whether a call is real, how to report it and what to do if you’ve already paid.

Why FBI scam calls are more convincing in 2026

According to a 7 October 2026 ConsumerAffairs report on a warning from the FBI’s Newark field office, impersonators are now:

• Using real agents’ names. They pick names of people who genuinely work for the FBI or other agencies, often found online.
• Spoofing real agency phone numbers, so your caller ID shows an FBI, DEA or Secret Service office number.
• Posing as several agencies, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Secret Service, sometimes passing you between “departments” to seem official.
• Staging video meetings. In one case described in the report, the victim joined a video call showing an FBI seal in the background.

The FBI’s warning includes an important twist: if you call the agency to check, staff may confirm that an agent by that name exists. That doesn’t mean that agent called you. Scammers rely on that confirmation to win your trust.

How big is the government impersonation problem?

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in a public service announcement dated 17 September 2026, it received nearly 61,000 complaints about government impersonation scams between January 2025 and July 2026, with reported losses of over $1.6 billion.

IC3 figures cited by consumer groups break down some of the most common scripts:

The phone network itself is part of the problem. YouMail estimated about 4.3 billion robocalls in the US in July 2026, according to figures cited by AARP. Most aren’t government scams, but the volume shows how cheaply scammers can reach millions of people.

How does caller ID spoofing work?

Caller ID was designed when only phone companies could put calls on the network, so it trusted whatever number the caller’s system sent. Today, internet calling services let anyone set the number that appears on your screen. A scammer can type in an FBI field office number, and your phone shows it as if it were real.

US carriers use a system called STIR/SHAKEN to sign calls and flag ones whose caller ID can’t be verified, which is why you sometimes see “Spam Likely” or a verified checkmark. But calls that pass through older networks or come from overseas can’t always be checked, and a call that isn’t labelled spam isn’t automatically genuine.

Why calling back doesn’t help

Redialling from your call log reaches the real office, which never called you, so scammers give you a separate “direct line” that goes to them. Always look up the official number yourself.

Common FBI impersonation scam scripts and red flags

The story changes, but the pressure tactics don’t. Here are the scripts reported most often, the red flag in each, and what to do.

Does the FBI ever call you?

FBI agents can contact people as part of real investigations, which is exactly why this scam works. But a real agent will not:

• Ask you for money, fines or “bail” over the phone.
• Ask for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift card or prepaid card. According to the FBI, it never does this.
• Ask you to move savings to a “safe” or “protected” account.
• Threaten immediate arrest unless you pay.
• Tell you to keep the call secret from your bank or family.
• Ask you to install remote-access software.

How to verify a call claiming to be from the FBI

1. Hang up. You lose nothing by ending the call. A real agent can follow up in writing or in person.
2. Find the number yourself. Go to fbi.gov and look up the field office contact page, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Don’t use any number the caller gave you.
3. Ask about the call, not just the person. Remember: confirming an agent exists doesn’t confirm that they called you. Ask whether the FBI has any reason to contact you.
4. Talk to someone you trust. A family member, friend or your bank. Scammers depend on you acting alone and fast.
5. Check your bank and credit accounts directly through the official app or website if the caller mentioned them.

How to report an FBI impersonation scam call

Reporting helps the FBI link cases and warn others, even if you didn’t lose money.

• FBI tips: tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
• IC3: file a complaint at ic3.gov, especially if you lost money. Include the number shown, the name used, the time and any payment details.
• FTC: report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC shares reports with law enforcement.
• Your carrier: mark the number as spam in your phone app so the carrier’s filters learn from it. If the scammer also texted you, forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).

If the caller sent a scam text first, our smishing guide explains how to report and block those messages, and our guide to Amazon scam texts covers fake support numbers.

What to do if you already paid or shared information

Act quickly. The sooner a payment is reported, the better the chance of stopping or reversing it.

If you sent money

1. Bank transfer or wire: call your bank’s fraud line (the number on your card) and ask them to recall the transfer.
2. Gift cards: contact the company that issued the card, tell them it was used in a scam and ask for a refund. Keep the cards and receipts.
3. Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or platform you used immediately and report the wallet address the scammer gave you.
4. Cash or gold handed to a “courier”: call local police right away; some recent scams send people to collect cash in person.
5. File with IC3 at ic3.gov and keep a record of every call, message and transaction.

If you shared personal information

• Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
• Place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
• Change passwords for any account you mentioned and turn on two-step verification.
• Ask your mobile carrier to add a port-out PIN or SIM lock so the scammer can’t move your number to their own phone.

If you installed an app they asked for

1. Disconnect from Wi-Fi and mobile data.
2. Uninstall the app. On iPhone, also check Settings › General › VPN & Device Management for profiles you don’t recognise. On Android, check Settings › Security for device admin apps.
3. From a different, trusted device, change your banking, email and Apple or Google account passwords.
4. Read how to tell if your phone is hacked for the next steps, and consider a full reset if you’re still unsure.

Block scam calls on iPhone and Android

You can’t stop scammers from dialling, but you can stop most calls from reaching you.

iPhone

• Screen Unknown Callers (iOS 26 and later): Settings › Apps › Phone › Screen Unknown Callers. Your iPhone can ask unknown callers for their name and reason before it rings.
• Silence Unknown Callers: in the same Phone settings. Calls from numbers not in your contacts, recent outgoing calls or Siri suggestions go straight to voicemail. Real agencies can leave a message; scammers rarely do.
• Call blocking apps: Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Blocking & Identification lets you enable your carrier’s or a trusted provider’s spam app.

Android and Pixel

• Call Screen on Pixel: open the Phone app › Settings › Spam and Call Screen, and turn on Call Screen so Google Assistant answers unknown numbers for you.
• Caller ID & spam: in the same menu, turn on See caller & spam ID and Filter spam calls.
• Samsung: Phone app › Settings › Caller ID and spam protection.

Carrier spam filters

The major US carriers each offer free spam call blocking: AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter and T-Mobile Scam Shield. Turn them on in the carrier’s app or account settings.

Scammers target your phone too

Impersonators sometimes claim your phone number or device is “linked to a crime” and tell you to buy a new phone or hand over your current one. No real agency does this. If you do end up replacing a phone after a scam, buy from a trusted source, and if it’s second-hand, check the IMEI with a GSMA blacklist check and an All-in-one basic info check before paying, so you don’t inherit someone else’s locked or stolen device.

The bottom line

An FBI impersonation scam call can look real: a real agent’s name, a real FBI number on your screen, even a video call with a seal. None of that matters. The FBI won’t demand money, won’t ask for wire transfers, crypto or gift cards, and won’t tell you to keep it secret. Hang up, look up the number yourself, report it to tips.fbi.gov or ic3.gov, and turn on your phone’s call screening and carrier spam filters. If you already paid, call your bank today.