Communications even had the FBI seal, although they came from a .com, and not .gov address.
Her agent was so helpful he even offered to keep her money safe if she moved it to a government safety locker — but she couldn’t tell Morgan Stanley why when she took out $595,000 in cash.
Reading details like this may make it seem like an obvious scam, but for Boivin, the story added up. Like many victims, she was likely targeted because her background made her likely to trust authority and to want to offer assistance. The thieves knew details and had convincing arguments over months that led to the loss of the senior's savings.
Boivin is also far from alone in falling victim to these tricks. She lost her money to a government impersonation scam — and many others could do the same if they aren't careful.
What is a government impersonation scam?
Government impersonation scams occur when criminals pretend to be from government agencies and trick people into giving them their money. These scams can take different forms including:
- The Federal Trade Commission announcing you won a lottery but must pay taxes or fees to collect your winnings.
- The Social Security Administration threatening to end your benefits or suspend your Social Security number if you don’t make an immediate payment.
- The IRS calling to inform you you’re at risk of arrest, deportation, or driver’s license suspension if you don’t pay your tax bill.
- Someone from Medicare calling to ask for your information for a claim or to collect payment
- An FBI agent or the police calling because you’ve been linked to a crime and need to help them out to avoid arrest.
In most cases, the phone number will show up as being from the “agency” that’s calling you — and the scammers may even use the name of a real government employee. They’re actually just trying to collect personal data or take your money, though. They may drain your accounts, misuse your personal details, or try to get you to give them gift cards or cash.
Sadly, these scams are common because they are successful. In 2023, FTC records show consumers lost $76 million to these types of tricks.
How to protect yourself
Scammers can be very convincing, but there are ways to protect yourself.
