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What is an Imposter Scam?
Government Imposter Scams
Romance Scams
Reporting a Scam
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According to the FTC, Americans lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025 alone.
What is an Imposter Scam?
Imposter scams occur when a fraudster pretends to be someone they aren’t in order to convince victims to share personal information or money.
In many cases, scammers pretend to be from trusted entities (such as financial institutions or the government) or people (like romantic partners).
Government Imposter Scams
Some fraudsters impersonate workers from legitimate government agencies. Due to their perceived authority, the scammers can convince victims to share money or confidential information with them.
In one common scam, fraudsters send out false messages about overdue road tolls. These messages prompt the recipient to open a link and enter their payment information to cover the cost of the alleged toll.
Many recipients of these messages do so without thinking in order to avoid having the vehicle’s registration suspended or being charged late fees. However, by entering their payment information, they have given scammers access to their banking information.
If you receive an unexpected message about owing money for tolls (or any other official government-related business), pause before taking action. To ensure it isn’t a scam, reach out to the relevant government agency using confirmed contact information to check in.
Romance Scams
In romance scams, a fraudster establishes a romantic relationship with a victim through online platforms like dating websites. Over time, they gain the victim’s trust and affection.
Then they start asking for money or access to the victim’s banking accounts.
The fraudster isn’t involved with their “partner” to find love; they’re trying to take advantage of them.
Common warning signs of a romance scam include your partner never being willing to meet in person and/or your partner abruptly asking for money – often to cover seemingly major life emergencies.
The FTC advises consumers to never send money to a romantic partner they’ve never met in person.
Reporting a Scam
If you believe you have been targeted by a scammer, report the incident to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
This material is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
