Impostor calls: "This is your bank / the IRS / your grandson"

Impostors pretend to be someone you trust: a government agency, your bank's fraud department, a utility, police, or a family member in trouble. Caller ID can be faked, so a familiar name or number proves nothing.

Common versions

• "Your Social Security number has been suspended"
• "The IRS will arrest you unless you pay today"
• "This is your bank's fraud team. Move your money to a safe account"
• "Grandma, I'm in jail, please don't tell Mom" (sometimes with an AI-cloned voice)
• "Your power will be shut off in an hour"

The rule that stops almost all of them

Hang up. Then call back using a number you find yourself: the back of your card, a bill, the agency's official website, or the family member's own phone. A real organization will still be there.

Facts worth knowing

• Government agencies don't demand payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency
• The IRS usually contacts people by mail first
• No real bank asks you to move money to a "safe account"
• A family code word helps check a panicked call is real

General educational information, not legal advice. Dime Wisdom isn't paid by any bank, security company or government agency.