Imposter Scams: How You Can Protect Yourself and Others 

Written by:

Baylor Cox

Reviewed by:

• Erin Frizell

Imposter scams come in many forms. They can look different depending on the intended target and may change as new trends emerge and old scams begin to be recognized. No matter what the scam may look like, an imposter scam is any scam that involves a criminal impersonating someone and trying to fool you into thinking they are some one you can trust. 

Social security scams, gift card scams, Amazon scams, and many others fall into the pool of imposter scams because the scammer tries to impersonate a person or a company. These scams are increasingly popular among scammers because they take advantage of a person’s trust. Unfortunately, everyone needs to learn to spot these scams so they do not fall victim to them and lose their personal information or money. 

Something to stay aware of is scammers presenting consequences for not cooperating with their demands. If you feel that you are being pressured to act quickly it is important to do the opposite. Take some time and think things through. If you have suspicions about whether you are being targeted by a scam, call the official phone number of the place that is contacting you to see if what you are being contacted about is legitimate or a scam. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 847,346 imposter scam fraud reports were made in 2024. The top imposter scams involved payment apps and the top contact method was through a phone call. Imposter scams are a real threat and can result in serious monetary damages if not taken seriously. 

Warning Signs of Imposter Scams 

While every imposter scam can look different, they all have similarities that you can often recognize. Keep an eye out for any of these red flags to help you recognize potential scams. 

• You receive an unsolicited phone call claiming you owe money, and there are severe consequences if you do not pay. 

• You receive a phone call from someone claiming that you have won a prize or giveaway, but you must do something in order to claim it (pay money or give them sensitive personal information) 

• You receive a phone call from someone at a tech company or internet servicer telling you your computer has a virus. 

• A caller asks for payment in the form of a gift card or prepaid card. 

• The caller ID may say it’s from a reputable company, but the scammers have spoofed the phone number to gain your trust. 

What You Can do to Avoid These Scams 

Just as there are warning signs, there are also tactics to keep in mind to avoid falling victim. For example, you should resist the urge to act quickly when you receive a call or text message even if the person you spoke with said you had limited time to act. 

Businesses and corporations will not ask for immediate payment without prior requests or messages. Scammers want you to act quickly so that you do not have time to think things through. Here are a few other examples of steps you can take and things you can be aware of: 

• Verify the caller’s information. Does the caller say they are from AT&T? Find out their name and their position and hang up the phone. Call the AT&T number you find online and ask if the information the first caller shared with you is accurate. 

• Look for spelling or grammar mistakes in all messages and emails. Scammers will often make spelling mistakes and not read back through their messages. If you do see spelling mistakes, take a moment to verify the email or phone number and matches what you find online for the company the message claims to come from. 

• Don’t rely solely on caller ID. While you may expect Caller ID to always to be accurate, a scammer may be able to spoof a caller ID (LINK TO CALLER ID SPOOF SCAM ARTICLE) to seem legitimate. Always hang up the phone and call your personal contact number for that person or business. 

• Never send money or grant access to someone you do not know. Suppose you continue receiving requests from a particular company or service. In that case, you probably owe them money, but not if they ask for it urgently or randomly without prior knowledge or services. 

• Never click on a link in a message unless you know exactly what you are clicking on. You should be able to hover over links with your cursor and see where that link truly takes you. When in doubt do not click on the link. 

What You Can Do to Help Defend Against Imposter Scams 

The most important thing is to try and avoid being scammed yourself. In order to help others, you can record when a scammer has tried to fool you and report it to the proper authorities. 

Keep track of the following information: 

• When you receive a call or message, record the date and time. 

• Who was the imposter? Write down who they said they were and what company they said they were with. 

• What actions did they want you to take? Did they want you to make a payment? How did they want you to make it? How much did they say it would be? 

• What was the phone number that the call came from? 

Once you have this information, there are ways to report it. If it comes from a company that is local, it may be helpful to inform that company of the scam. Find their correct number online and tell them that scammers are impersonating their employees and requesting payment. This allows them the opportunity to send out a notice to their clients or customers. 

You should also report suspected scams to the FBI. You can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3.