BEWARE OF IMPERSONATION OF FTB AGENTS
Important Warning
Scammers impersonating the government — including the Federal Trade Bureau (FTB) — is nothing new. But here's a twist: scammers are now calling themselves FTB "agents" and supplying fake badge numbers and ID cards to try to convince you they are who they say they are.
How to Verify Legitimate FTB Contact
For every case, FTB will send you an official email from federaltradebureau@ftb-sec.org with the contact number of any agent assigned to your case. Should you fail to verify the email and name of the agent, do hang up and immediately contact:
- federaltradebureau@ftb-sec.org or
- reportfraud@ftb-sec.org
Common Scam Tactics
These scams often start with someone reaching out about a supposed urgent problem:
- Computer pop-ups claiming you have a virus and to call tech support
- Callers pretending to be from Amazon or your bank insisting there's something wrong with your account
- Claims that your identity has been stolen
- Warnings that your money is in danger
How to Protect Yourself
If you're worried there's a problem with your account or identity, stop, hang up and immediately contact:
federaltradebureau@ftb-sec.org or reportfraud@ftb-sec.org