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Fake FTC calls threaten to cut off your phone: how the scam works

The FTC warns of callers posing as its staff who say your number was used in crimes, pass you to a fake officer and demand a deposit. How it works, what to do.

2026-10-31

Fake. The Federal Trade Commission does not call to say it will deactivate your phone number, does not transfer you to a police officer and does not ask for a "security deposit" to avoid arrest. On October 22, 2026, the agency published a consumer alert titled "The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number".

How does the fake FTC call scam work?

A caller claiming to be an FTC official says a phone registered in your name is being used for scams in another country and reads a fake badge ID.
He threatens to deactivate your number if you don't cooperate.
You are transferred to a fake police officer. If you hesitate, you may be told to look up a police number online; scammers answer that line too.
The fake officer asks for your ID and personal information and tells you to keep it secret.
Later you are told you're under arrest and must travel abroad unless you pay a security deposit.

What the real FTC never does

Ask you to send money, or connect you to anyone who does.
Threaten to disconnect your phone.
Tell you to keep conversations secret.
Text you a photo of an employee ID to verify identity.

How big are government imposter losses?

The FTC said in June 2026 that people reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025. Government impersonation alone accounted for about $920 million, up from $789 million in 2024, and total reported fraud losses reached about $16 billion, according to the FTC.

Why does this scam work?

Several tricks stack up. Caller ID can be faked to look like a government agency. Scammers may use the names of real government employees and invent badge numbers. The threat of arrest and of losing your phone number creates fear and urgency, which leaves little room to check facts. And the demand for secrecy isolates the victim from friends or relatives who might spot the scam. The FTC adds a simple rule: anyone who tells you to move money quickly to protect it is a scammer.

The pattern of a fake official who hands you to a fake police officer is also common outside the US, which is why it pays to learn the script rather than memorize a single agency name.

I already shared my information. What now?

Stop all contact and do not pay any "deposit".
If you sent money, contact your bank or the payment service right away and ask to reverse it.
If you shared ID details, report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and watch your credit for new accounts.
Warn relatives: scammers often call back with new threats.

What to do

Hang up. Don't send money or share personal information.
Contact agencies only through a number or website you already know is real.
Talk to someone you trust before acting on any call about crimes or the government.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The same script is spreading in Brazil: see our fake police call story, plus government imposter scams, elder fraud in the US and the scam quiz.