Have you ever received a text or unexpected message from a government agency (like the IRS)? Well, join the club. A growing number of Americans are reporting these kinds of messages. So much so that government agencies have started issuing statements about them, warning people not to interact with these messages.
In fact, reports of government imposter scams went up by about 40% in 2025 alone. Victims reported losses totaling $3.5 billion across all imposter scam categories. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, often using official-sounding language, spoofed phone numbers, and convincing fake documents to trick consumers into handing over money or personal information. Here are seven red flags you need to look out for before you pay a dime.
