Technique

Authority Impersonation

Also known as: Government Impersonation Scam, Official Impersonation, Agency Impersonation, Law Enforcement Scam, IRS Scam, SSA Scam

MANIPULATION

Posing as government agencies, law enforcement, tax authorities, or other official bodies to exploit trust and urgency, typically demanding immediate payment or personal information.

Common attack flows

How it fits in a scam

This technique shows up duringMANIPULATION

Before

This is often where the scam begins.

After

Defense

How to defend against this

How to spot it

  • Government agencies never demand immediate payment by phone text or email
  • Real agencies dont threaten arrest deportation or license suspension for unpaid fines
  • Officials wont ask for payment via gift cards wire transfer or cryptocurrency
  • Caller ID can be spoofed to show legitimate agency numbers
  • Unsolicited contact claiming to be IRS SSA DMV FBI or courts
  • Requests for SSN bank info or payment over phone or text
  • Pre-recorded urgent messages or robocalls from agencies

Tools you can use

Steps you can take

Seen in the wild

Where we’ve seen it

Commonly targets

Further reading