Government impersonation scams use fear and authority to extract money and information. They threaten arrest, benefit suspension, or deportation. Understanding how government agencies actually communicate is the best defense.
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The IRS contacts by postal mail first, not phone calls. Social Security never threatens to suspend your number. Medicare doesn't cold-call about new cards. Immigration services don't demand payment over the phone.
Government impersonators always threaten immediate, severe consequences: arrest, deportation, benefit suspension, license revocation. Real government agencies give you time and due process. They don't demand immediate payment.
If you receive a call claiming to be from a government agency, hang up and call the agency's official number (found on their .gov website). Spoofed caller IDs can show government numbers — you must verify independently.
No government agency anywhere in the world accepts payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. This is the single most reliable red flag for government impersonation scams.