The Most Common Scam Calls — and What's Actually True
IRS scam: "You owe back taxes. Pay now or get arrested."
The truth: The IRS will never call you as a first contact. Ever. They mail letters — certified mail if the matter is serious. They will never demand payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. They will never threaten immediate arrest. They will never ask you to keep the call secret. If you receive an IRS notice in the mail and are unsure if it's real, call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.
Social Security scam: "Your SSN has been suspended."
The truth: Social Security numbers cannot be suspended. This is a made-up threat with no legal basis. The SSA does not threaten people with arrest over the phone. If you receive a suspicious SSA call, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 — the official SSA number — to verify whether any legitimate action is needed on your account.
Tech support scam: "Your computer has a virus. We need remote access."
The truth: Microsoft, Apple, Google, and your internet provider do not monitor your computer for viruses and will never call you unsolicited about one. A pop-up saying "call this number immediately — your computer is infected" is a scam browser ad, not a system alert. Close your browser (or force-quit it). If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately. Never give a caller remote access to your computer — they will steal your data and may install malware.
Grandparent scam: "Grandma, I'm in trouble. Don't tell Mom and Dad."
The truth: This scam has a caller pretend to be your grandchild (or a lawyer/police officer representing them) in an emergency — car accident, arrested, hospital — and needs money wired immediately. The "don't tell anyone" instruction is intentional — it prevents the victim from calling the actual grandchild to verify. If this happens: hang up, and call your grandchild directly on their known number. That call takes 10 seconds and ends the scam immediately.
Utility shutoff scam: "Pay now or your power is cut in 30 minutes."
The truth: Utility companies don't shut off service without prior written notice and a legally required grace period. They don't call demanding immediate payment by gift card. If you're genuinely worried about your account, hang up and call the number on your bill or the utility's official website — not the number the caller provided.
Package delivery scam: "Click here to reschedule your delivery."
The truth: Text or email scams claiming to be UPS, FedEx, USPS, or Amazon asking you to click a link to reschedule a delivery or pay a customs fee are designed to steal your payment information or install malware. Track all packages through the official carrier app using the tracking number from your order confirmation — never through a link in a text message you weren't expecting.
The Rules That End Every Scam
Never pay by gift card
No legitimate government agency, business, or court accepts gift card payment. Ever. If anyone asks for payment in Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, or any gift card — that is a scam. 100% of the time. No exceptions.
Caller ID means nothing
Scammers "spoof" caller ID to show any number — including the IRS, your bank, Social Security Administration, or your grandchild's number. The number displayed proves nothing. Only what you can verify by calling back on a known number matters.
"Don't tell anyone" = scam
Legitimate agencies never ask you to keep a call secret. This instruction exists specifically to prevent you from calling someone who would talk you out of the scam. Always tell a trusted person what's happening before doing anything with money.
Urgency is the weapon
"Act now or it's too late." Real agencies don't work this way. Any call that demands you make a financial decision in the next hour is designed to stop you from thinking clearly. Hang up. Sleep on it. Call the real number tomorrow.
If You Already Gave Them Information
Gave a credit or debit card number?
Call your bank immediately and report unauthorized/potential fraud. Ask them to cancel the card and monitor for unauthorized charges. If a charge has already appeared, dispute it. Credit cards have much stronger unauthorized-charge protections than debit cards.
Gave your Social Security number?
Place a credit freeze immediately at all three bureaus — free at equifax.com, experian.com, and transunion.com. A freeze prevents anyone from opening new credit accounts in your name even with your SSN. Also place a fraud alert. Consider signing up for IRS Identity Protection PIN to prevent tax fraud.
Gave a scammer remote access to your computer?
Disconnect from the internet immediately (unplug ethernet, turn off Wi-Fi). Turn off the computer. Do not turn it back on and use it normally — assume it now has malware. Have it wiped and reinstalled by a professional, or use Windows Reset / Mac Factory Restore. Change passwords to all accounts from a different device before using those accounts again.
Report to the FTC
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov to file a report. It takes about 10 minutes. The FTC uses these reports to track trends and build cases against scam operations. If you lost money, also file a report with your local police (needed for any financial fraud claims) and contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm elderly and worried about my parents falling for these scams. What can I do?
Have an honest, non-condescending conversation about how these scams work — frame it as 'something that happens to sharp people too.' Establish a family rule: before doing anything with money on a call, call a family member first. Consider setting up a Google account with family alerts on their phone, or services like Hiya or Nomorobo that auto-block known scam numbers.
Can I get money back if I was scammed?
It depends on the payment method. Credit card payments are disputable — call your bank immediately. Wire transfers and gift card payments are generally unrecoverable once sent. ACH bank transfers may be reversible if reported quickly. Cryptocurrency is unrecoverable. Report to the FTC regardless — in some cases, the FTC has been able to facilitate partial refunds through civil actions against scam operations.
Why do scammers keep calling even after I hang up?
Many scam call centers use auto-dialers that don't track individual call outcomes — they just re-dial everyone on their list repeatedly. Don't engage, don't tell them to stop calling, and don't threaten them — that just confirms your number is active. Register at donotcall.gov (won't stop scammers but helps with legitimate telemarketers) and consider using a call-blocking service.
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