Scammers Impersonating the FTC Threaten to Deactivate Your Phone Number

The scam starts with a call from someone claiming to be an FTC official, saying a phone registered under your name and number is being used to commit scams in another country. The "official" reads off a badge ID (it's fake), and if you hesitate, transfers you to a fake police officer to "file a report" — sometimes even telling you what to search online to find the department's number, so people on the scam pick up when you call. They ask for your ID and personal information for the "report" and tell you to keep everything secret.

Then comes the money: the "police" claim you're under arrest for the scams your number was associated with and that you must go to another country — unless you send money for a security deposit. A real FTC employee will never ask you to send money, never threaten to disconnect your phone, never tell you to keep the conversation secret, and never text you a photo of an employee ID.