There’s a new scam making the rounds, and this one is particularly shameless.
The FTC has issued a warning that fraudsters are impersonating FTC officials. That’s right—the same agency that warns people about scams like this to trick victims into handing over their money.
It works something like this: you get a call from someone claiming to be from your bank or Amazon. They say your account has been compromised or that your identity might have been stolen. Then they transfer you to someone posing as an “FTC agent.”
This fake agent might sound convincing. They’ll offer a badge number, possibly even send over an official-looking ID. Then they’ll walk you through how to “protect” your money by moving it to a different account. And that’s the scam. The new account belongs to them.
In reality, the FTC doesn’t have agents who make calls like this. They won’t ever ask you to move money. If someone says otherwise, hang up.
You can always double-check with your bank or Amazon directly, and if you do get a call like this, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Don’t let a scammer in a fake uniform walk away with your savings.