Scam Help / Tech support and government impersonation scams in the US: how they work and what to do

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Tech support and government impersonation scams in the US: how they work and what to do

The FTC says legitimate tech companies will not contact you to say there is a problem with your computer, and that someone who works for the government will never tell you to move money to protect it or demand payment in cash or gold. If someone does, hang up, do not click, and contact the real organisation on a number you already trust.

This page is for anyone in the United States who got a scary pop-up, call or text, and for the family members who worry about them. We are a private marketing company. We are not the police or a bank, and we cannot recover money. We have put together what official sources say, so you can act fast and stay safe.

How big are tech support and government impersonation scams in the US?

They are among the largest fraud types the FBI tracks. In 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 47,794 tech support complaints and 32,424 government impersonation complaints. The IC3 groups call-centre fraud under these two categories, and says combined there were more than 80,000 complaints and losses above $2.9 billion.

Scam type (IC3)	Reported loss in 2025
Tech support	$2,134,675,818
Government impersonation	$797,943,193
Confidence and romance	$929,287,469

Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Annual Report, calendar year 2025. Figures are as reported by victims.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sees the same wave from another angle. It said imposter scams were the most reported fraud type in 2025, with over 1 million reports and over $3.5 billion in reported losses. Overall, the FTC said people reported $15.9 billion in fraud losses in 2025, up from over $12 billion in 2024.

Source: FTC prepared statement to the Joint Economic Committee, 25 March 2026, covering calendar years 2024 and 2025. FTC and IC3 data overlap, so do not add the two together.

What is the non-obvious pattern in these scams?

Many people think of a fake virus pop-up as a small scam. The data says otherwise. Tech support is the third biggest cyber fraud type by money lost in the IC3 report, ahead of romance scams. It is also the second most reported crime among people aged 60 and over.

One thing that makes it costly is that it is often not one scam but a hand-off from one story to the next. The FTC describes the steps this way:

You see a fake virus pop-up, or a search result or ad for "tech support", or get a call, text or email that looks like it is from a well-known company. It shows a phone number.
The caller asks to get into your computer, pretends to scan it, and "finds" a problem. They offer to fix it for a fee, often hundreds of dollars.
They push you to pay in ways that are hard to reverse: gift cards, wire or bank transfer, crypto or a payment app.
Then it escalates. The fake technician says your accounts were hacked or linked to crimes, and hands you to a "government official" with a made-up badge or case number.
The "official" tells you to move your money to "protect" it, put it in a so-called federal safety locker, or buy gold or cash and give it to someone.

Source: FTC consumer advice and DOJ case descriptions; courier detail from the FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report.

That last step is measured. The IC3 reported about 725 gold courier complaints in 2025, with losses of $311.8 million. In these cases, victims of tech support and government impersonation scams were told to hand cash or precious metals to a courier.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, calendar year 2025.

So a first fee for a "fix" can be followed by a second story, and a much larger demand, from a voice that borrows the trust the first one built.

Why do smart, educated people fall for it?

Because the scam does not test your intelligence. It tests your reaction to fear and authority. Researchers at the University of Cambridge listed seven things scammers use: distraction, social compliance, the herd, dishonesty, deception, need and greed, and time pressure. They wrote that society trains people not to question authority, and that time pressure pushes people toward less reasoning.

Source: University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, Understanding the psychology of scam victims, 2009 (a general framework, not research on these exact scams).

Think about what the scammer does. A screen that flashes red. A voice that says a government case is open in your name. A demand to act within 24 hours and tell no one. Many people would feel alarmed. The sources we used do not break down losses by education level, so we will not claim a number on that. What they do show is who loses the most money.

Do only older people lose money to these scams?

No, but older adults report the highest total losses of any age group. The IC3 said people aged 60 and over filed 201,266 complaints in 2025, up 37 percent from 2024. Their reported losses were $7.748 billion, up 59 percent, the highest of any age group. The average loss was $38,500, and 12,444 of these complainants lost more than $100,000.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, Elder Fraud section, calendar year 2025.

Among those 60 and over, tech and customer support complaints numbered 21,333, second only to phishing and spoofing at 48,064.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, Elder Fraud section, calendar year 2025.

Younger people are not safe either. A summary of FTC data by AARP, a secondary source, says people 50 and over reported $4.3 billion lost in 2025, and younger adults reported $2.3 billion. Both numbers are large.

Source: AARP summary of FTC data, calendar year 2025 (secondary source, not read on an FTC page).

The FTC also warns that its reported totals are only a fraction of the real harm. It estimated the full cost to consumers in 2024 could be as high as $195.9 billion once people who never report are counted.

Source: FTC prepared statement to the Joint Economic Committee, 25 March 2026, estimate for 2024.

What do US and Indian authorities say about call-centre rings?

Some of these calls come from organised call centres. Official sources have described cases where the centres were in India. Official sources also show that Indian authorities act against them. We state this factually and do not blame any country or community.

The IC3 report says US agencies, including the Department of Justice and FBI, have worked with Indian law enforcement, including the Central Bureau of Investigation. Indian authorities made about 175 arrests in 13 joint operations in 2025. Since 2022, there have been over 475 arrests across 27 joint operations and over 1,200 information exchanges.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, Call Center Fraud section, 2022 to 2025. The report gives no figure for what share of tech support or government impersonation losses come from India-based centres, and we do not state one.

India's own agencies have also acted on their own. On 28 May 2025, India's Central Bureau of Investigation searched 19 locations, arrested six people and shut two illegal call centres in an operation against tech support fraud aimed at people in Japan, as reported by The Hacker News.

Source: The Hacker News, reporting on the CBI operation, 2025.

What do real cases look like?

Case 1: A call centre posing as US agencies

What happened. In December 2025, Indian federal investigators and the FBI raided an illegal call centre in an Indian city. Six people were arrested. The network posed as technical help and then as US federal agencies, and targeted more than 600 US citizens. Money moved through crypto and bank transfers. The IC3 attributed more than $48.7 million in reported losses to the network. Tracing of the money was still ongoing when the report was written.

The tell. Help that arrived from "tech support" turned into "a federal agency" in the same conversation, and the money went through crypto and bank transfers.

What would have helped. Victim reports to the IC3 helped Indian investigators pursue the call centre. If you were targeted, report it.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, Call Center Fraud section. Allegations and reported figures, not court findings.

Case 2: The phone numbers that made it possible

What happened. Two former executives of a US call-routing company pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. They sold phone numbers, call routing and forwarding to customers they knew ran tech support fraud, some of them call centres in India. The scam started with a fake pop-up warning that your computer had a virus, with a number to call. Callers persuaded people to pay hundreds of dollars for fake support, and sometimes took remote access and collected personal and financial information. An investigation that began in 2020 had already led to convictions of five India-based telemarketing fraudsters and a former employee of the company. Sentencing was set for 16 June 2026. We have not verified the outcome.

The tell. A pop-up that looked like a security alert and told you to call a number.

What would have helped. Not clicking or calling. A US Attorney quoted in a related DOJ release advises deleting such pop-ups and contacting your software provider or a local computer consultant directly.

Source: US Department of Justice, US Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island (case); advice from the archived DOJ press release, Southern District of Florida. Conduct 2016 to 2022; the exact plea date was not shown on the page we read.

Case 3: A court order and a parallel Indian investigation

What happened. A US federal court issued a temporary restraining order against one individual and five companies alleged to run a tech support fraud on hundreds of elderly and vulnerable victims. People who called the number on a fake virus pop-up reached India-based call centres. The workers asked for remote access, falsely diagnosed non-existent problems and charged for unneeded software. India's Central Bureau of Investigation acted at the same time, registering a criminal case and searching offices and homes in four Indian cities. These are allegations only, and we have not verified the final outcome. The year is not shown on the archived page.

The tell. A false diagnosis from someone who asked to control your computer.

What would have helped. Not giving remote access to someone who contacted you first.

Source: US Department of Justice archived press release, Southern District of Florida.

What are the warning signs?

A pop-up or message says your device has a virus and tells you to call a number.
Someone calls, texts or emails out of the blue to say there is a problem with your computer or account.
They ask for remote access to your computer.
A "government" caller threatens arrest, or says you must move money to protect it.
They want payment by gift card, wire or bank transfer, crypto or payment app.
They ask you to withdraw cash or buy gold and hand it to a courier.
They tell you to keep it secret, or to stay on the line while you go to the bank.
The caller ID looks official. The FTC says caller ID can be faked.
They say you must act "within 24 hours".

Source: FTC consumer advice and FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report.

What should I do if I already paid or shared access?

Move quickly and calmly. The FBI IC3 advises: if you find a fraudulent transfer, contact your bank straight away to ask for a recall, and file a complaint at ic3.gov with full transaction details. The IC3 says it may be able to assist banks and law enforcement in freezing funds, but no outcome is certain.

For people 60 and over, the IC3's Recovery Asset Team handled 642 incidents in 2025. In those, $65,367,648 was reported lost and $32,865,655 was frozen. The top type was tech support and account takeover, with 360 incidents. This shows a process that sometimes works quickly. It is not a promise, and we cannot do it for you.

Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Annual Report, calendar year 2025.

The US Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). It is for people 60 or older who are victims of financial fraud. An archived DOJ page says it is staffed seven days a week, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, so check the hours when you call. You can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Source: US Department of Justice archived press release; FTC consumer advice.

Watch out for the second scam: fake recovery help

After a loss, a stranger may contact you and offer to get your money back for a fee. The FTC said in an alert dated 3 August 2026 that recovery scammers buy lists of people who already lost money and pose as agencies, advocacy groups or law firms. Its advice is not to trust anyone who contacts you claiming they can recover your lost money, and it says government agencies and legitimate organisations never ask for money or financial information for this.

Source: US FTC Consumer Advice alert, 3 August 2026.

Quick answers

Will a tech company call me about a virus?

The FTC says legitimate tech companies will not contact you by phone, email or text to say there is a problem with your computer. If a message looks real, contact the company yourself on a number you know is real, not the number in the message or pop-up.

Would a government agency ever ask me to move money to keep it safe?

No. The FTC says someone who works for the government will never tell you to move money to protect it, put it in a "federal safety locker", or pay in cash or gold. Do not pay or give details. Hang up, and call the agency on a number you know is correct.

Can I trust the caller ID?

No. The FTC says caller ID can be faked, so a real agency name on your screen proves nothing. Hang up, then look up the real number of the agency or company yourself and call that number to check.

What should I do right after I realise it was a scam?

Contact your bank straight away and ask for a recall of any transfer. File a complaint at ic3.gov with full transaction details, and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The IC3 says it may help freeze funds, but no outcome is certain.

Is there help for people over 60?

Yes. The US Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) for people 60 or older who are victims of financial fraud. An archived DOJ page says it is staffed seven days a week, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, so check the hours when you call.

What to do now

Close the pop-up. Do not call the number on it. Do not click anything inside it.
If someone is on the phone, hang up. You are allowed to.
Do not give remote access to your computer to anyone who contacted you first.
Do not pay with gift cards, wire transfer, crypto or cash handed to a courier.
If you already paid, call your bank now and ask for a recall, then file at ic3.gov.
Report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you are 60 or older, call 1-833-FRAUD-11.
Ignore anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee.
Tell one trusted person today. Keeping it secret is what the scammer wants.

Sources checked 3 October 2026

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Annual Report (Calendar year 2025)
FTC prepared statement to the Joint Economic Committee (25 March 2026; data for calendar years 2024 and 2025)
AARP summary of FTC data (secondary source) (Calendar year 2025)
US Department of Justice, US Attorney's Office District of Rhode Island (Conduct 2016 to 2022; plea announced 2026)
US Department of Justice archived press release, Southern District of Florida (Date not shown on archived page)
FTC Consumer Advice: how to spot, avoid and report tech support scams (Current page)
FTC Consumer Advice: how to avoid a government impersonation scam (Current page)
US FTC Consumer Advice alert on recovery scammers (3 August 2026)
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, Understanding the psychology of scam victims (2009)
The Hacker News, reporting on a CBI operation against tech support call centres (28 May 2025 operation)

Figures are as reported by the named agencies for the periods shown. Reporting rules differ by country, so totals are not directly comparable.