To learn more, read How To Avoid a Government Impersonator Scam. If it looks like the police are calling, look up the non-emergency phone number (hint: it’s not 9-1-1) and call to find out if the story is legit.

Scammers can easily spoof it to try to gain your trust. Or, really, anywhere - even your own number.

Scammers can rig caller ID to look like they’re calling from the police department. In fact, what seems like reliable information about the source of a call isn’t so reliable anymore. “But what about the caller ID?” you wonder. You also know using a prepaid card is like paying cash - once the money is gone, you can’t get it back. You know that police departments - and the federal government, for that matter - don’t tell people to pay with prepaid cards. Now your scam-detecting radar is going off the charts. The caller tells you to put money on a prepaid card and give him the card number. And, let’s be honest, your nephew is a knucklehead and you can totally imagine him being arrested. You’re skeptical – but the caller ID says the call is from the police department. The scam-detecting radar in your head immediately goes off. Someone you care about is in jail and, they say, you need to pay up to bail him out. But now we’re hearing about a new ploy: scammers are impersonating the police! That takes some chutzpah, huh? Here’s how it works. Or claim they’re from the FTC, calling to help you recover money lost to a scammer. They might say they’re calling from the IRS because you owe taxes. We know scammers are out there, impersonating the authorities and conjuring up different schemes to fool people into giving them money. Identity Theft and Online Security Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items.Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items.Money-Making Opportunities and Investments.Jobs and Making Money Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items.Credit, Loans, and Debt Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items.Shopping and Donating Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items.

Fake police id card