Scam Calls in the United States

Scam calls in the United States have evolved from the early "Nigerian prince" emails into a sprawling industry of voice and text fraud. The FTC received over two million fraud reports in 2024 — phone calls were the top contact method. The advice that follows is the consolidated playbook our community has learnt from thousands of reports.

Common signs

• Urgency: "act now or your account will be closed/your benefits suspended/the police are on the way".
• Unusual payment methods: gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or "MoneyPak" cards.
• Spoofed caller-ID that looks local, or that displays "IRS", "Social Security", or a government agency name.
• Robotic or AI-generated voices, followed by "press 1 to speak to an agent".
• Requests for your full Social Security Number, bank account, or one-time security codes.

Typical scripts

• "Your social security number has been suspended due to suspicious activity. Press 1 to speak to your case officer."
• "This is the IRS calling about an outstanding tax debt. There is a warrant for your arrest."
• "Your Amazon Prime account has been charged $499. Press 1 to dispute this charge."

What to do

• Hang up immediately. Real government agencies do not threaten or demand instant payment by phone.
• Do not press 1, 0, or any key — it confirms your line is active.
• Report the number on GhostCallers so other people are warned.
• Forward scam texts to 7726 (free reporting shortcode for US wireless carriers).
• File a complaint at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

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