Telephone and government imposter scams

Telephone scams

Never send money or share personal information based on an unexpected call.

Criminals use the phone to commit many types of fraud, including lottery and sweepstakes scams. Telephone scammers are skilled at convincing people to send money or share personal information.

A common scam involves someone claiming to be from a sheriff’s department or other public safety agency. They may say a family member has been arrested or involved in an accident and instruct you to call a number that begins with *72 (for example: *72-323-555-1212). Do not do this.

Dialing *72 activates call forwarding on your phone. This allows the scammer to forward incoming calls, including collect calls from inmates, to your number. You may then be charged for those calls until call forwarding is turned off (usually by dialing *73).

This scam can result in significant charges before it is discovered. If you have dialed a number beginning with *72, contact your phone service provider immediately to dispute charges and turn off call forwarding. You can also report the incident to the California Public Utilities Commission at 800-649-7570 or visit the California Public Utilities Commission website.

Social Security and other government imposter scams

Government imposter scams are becoming more common. The Federal Trade Commission reports hundreds of thousands of complaints each year, with millions of dollars lost to scammers.

Be cautious when receiving calls from anyone claiming to represent a government agency.

Legitimate government agencies, including the Social Security Administration, will never:

  • Threaten arrest or legal action if you do not immediately send money.
  • Promise to increase benefits or fix identity theft issues for a fee.
  • Require payment using gift cards, prepaid debit cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash.
  • Send unsolicited texts or emails requesting personal information.

How to protect yourself:

  • Hang up on suspicious calls from anyone claiming to be a government official.
  • Never make payments using gift cards, wire transfers or cash.
  • Report Social Security scams at oig.ssa.gov.
  • Report other scams at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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