Scammers are raking in millions by impersonating U.S. government officials

Americans lost nearly $800 million last year from scammers pretending to be U.S. government officials, according to a new report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, which details the most lucrative schemes for cybercriminals each year.

The FBI received more than 32,000 reports of the government impersonation scheme last year — a nearly 50 percent spike in complaints compared to 2024.

The scam follows a familiar playbook: Criminals pose as an authority figure to persuade victims to relinquish personal information, such as bank details or Social Security numbers, for fear of retribution.

Read more at POLITICO