A financial advice columnist wouldnt fall for afinancial scam, would she?

Luckily, there are some things you could do to protect yourself from government scams.

We have a few tips to help you spot and avoid them.

A woman looks out the window while taking an unwanted phone call. She is sitting in a seafoam green chair.

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What Are Government Impersonation Scams?

Government impersonation scams affect thousands of people every year.

Nearly 150,000 attempts were reported to the Federal Trade Commission in 2023.

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Thats an increase of almost 20,000 from 2022.

But the financial losses are even more alarming.

Last year, victims lost more than $443 million to this punch in of fraud.

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Government impersonation scams come in a variety of disguises.

Here are some of the most common:

1.

This pop in of fraud seeks to dupe taxpayers into paying money orproviding sensitive data.

This is done by phone, email, text and postal mail.

The imposter may tell you that you owe money or youre due a refund.

Scammers also commonly use threats of arrest or legal action to frighten taxpayers into doing whatever they say.

Threats of arrest are a hallmark of law enforcement scams.

They typically communicate by letter.

Federal Trade Commission Scams

Cowles talked to an FTC imposter before she got to the CIA.

As the government agency that investigates scams, the FTC can offer the illusion of safety.

The FTC does not issue grants or hold sweepstakes.

Most importantly, though, no representative of the FTC will ask you for money or personal information.

Heard of These Money-Making Hacks?

Ready to find out how some folks effortlessly earn the big bucks?

Millions of Americans ignorethese easy tipsthat could have you padding your wallet in no time.

He has a few tips to help keep yourself safe from government impersonation scams.

Government agencies generally only reach out to people by mail not phone, text or email.

Government agencies dont ask for that information by phone, text or email.

If someone tries to pry personal data out of you, always be skeptical.

Be skeptical if someone is pushing you to make a decision quickly.

Insist on taking down the persons information and conducting some research before making a decision.

Government impersonation scams can be surprisingly convincing.

If youve encountered a scam, report it to the FTC on its fraud reporting site7.

Reporting is key to alerting the FTC to all the scams circulating in a given year.

Drowning in Expenses?

Maybe youre scrambling after your car broke down.

Or you got a medical bill you werent expecting.

Or inflation has finally pushed your budget over the edge.

You dont need to go it alone.

When money is tight,these resourcescan help you manage unexpected expenses without stress.

Stephanie Faris is a professional finance writer with more than a decade of experience.

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