If an unexpected call, text, email, or social-media message promises you a government payment and asks you to act quickly, pause. Do not click its links, share personal or bank information, or send money. Verify the claim through contact details you find independently on an official government site.
How government-payment scams work
A message may claim to come from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, or another government office. It might promise a refund, grant, or benefit, or threaten that you will lose a benefit, face a penalty, or have an account problem unless you respond immediately. These approaches can arrive by phone, email, text, or social media. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that scammers may use a real agency’s name, a fake employee number, personal details, or a spoofed caller ID to make a contact look credible.
The FTC’s Consumer Advice page, How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam (November 2023), puts the key warning plainly: “Government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information.” This warning is about requests for money or personal information; a familiar agency name or other convincing detail does not authenticate the person contacting you. Read the FTC’s government-impersonation guidance.
Signs a payment offer may be a scam
- It creates pressure. A threat, urgent deadline, or claim that you must act now to receive money or avoid trouble is a reason to stop and verify independently.
- It asks for money to release or protect a benefit. The FTC specifically warns about demands for payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment app.
- It asks for sensitive information in response to an unsolicited message. Do not provide your Social Security number, bank-account or credit-card details, Medicare information, or other sensitive data through an unexpected contact.
- It directs you to a link or number in the message. A payment or refund claim should not be checked through contact details supplied by the person making the claim.
- It looks or sounds official. Caller ID can be faked, and scammers may know your name, address, or other details. Neither proves the contact is genuine. The FTC describes these tactics in its Government Impersonator Scams guidance.
What to do when a message promises a government payment
- Pause. Do not let an unexpected deadline or threat rush you into a decision. For an unexpected robocall, do not press numbers in response.
- Do not pay or disclose information. Do not send money through a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment app, and do not give sensitive identity or financial details to the unsolicited contact.
- Do not click links or open attachments. Avoid links and attachments in unexpected payment or refund messages. If you need to preserve details for a report, record them without interacting with the message, then delete it.
- Find the agency’s contact details independently. Use the agency’s official website or USA.gov to locate a verification channel. Do not call a number supplied by the caller or trust caller ID as proof. If the message concerns a tax refund, the FTC says to check refund information through USA.gov, not the message link.
- Report the contact and address any exposure. Report government impersonation at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you shared personal information, use IdentityTheft.gov for next steps.
What to do about tax-refund and past payment messages
Tax-refund texts and emails
A text or email saying a refund has been approved or processed may ask you to click a link and submit Social Security or bank-account information. In a January 2026 alert, the FTC described this as a phishing tactic that can expose refund information or lead to identity theft. Do not respond or click; check refund information through USA.gov, then report and delete the message. If you think your identity information is at risk, use IdentityTheft.gov. FTC: That text or email about your “tax refund” is a scam.
Economic Impact Payment messages
In October 2021, the FTC warned about fake IRS emails offering help with a third Economic Impact Payment through a link. That alert is a historical example of how scammers use payment promises; it is not evidence that an Economic Impact Payment is currently open or that you qualify. The alert advised going directly to IRS.gov for information rather than using a message link. FTC: Scammers are sending fake IRS emails about Economic Impact Payments.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to report agency impersonation
Start with the FTC’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If someone impersonated the IRS, the FTC also points people to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). For Social Security impersonation, it points to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. If you shared personal information, use IdentityTheft.gov for guidance on responding to possible identity theft. Reporting is a way to alert the relevant authorities; it does not guarantee that money will be recovered.
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