Government impersonation scams are among the most damaging forms of fraud targeting Americans today. The recent tragedy of a Southern California couple, who ended up losing $850,000, shows how complex these systems have become.
It started in early 2025 with a phone call that appeared to be from the US Postal Service – a process known as Caller ID spoofing. On the other side were Peter and Diane Hata, a retired minister and teacher from Covina, California. On the other hand, there were people posing as FBI agents with fake documents claiming that the couple were suspects in the New York bank manager’s crime case.
According to a report by local news station KTLA, the callers spent months pressuring the couple to keep the “investigation” secret and demanding money. They even threatened the Hata people with going to jail if anyone was told about the investigation. To make the show more believable, one caller appeared in the video wearing an FBI jacket and badge in what appeared to be a detention cell.
The couple were eventually told they could clear their names by converting their savings to cryptocurrency so the FBI could confirm the money was not connected to a crime ring. They emptied their retirement accounts, took out mortgages and moved about $850,000 to crypto wallets controlled by fraudsters.
After the transfer was completed, communication was suddenly cut off, prompting the couple to contact the real FBI. That’s when they found out that the investigation was fake. Now, with most of their savings gone, the couple is facing the loss of the home they have lived in for over 37 years.
The amount of money lost in this scam may be shocking, but this type of scam is on the rise. The number of impersonation scams will nearly double between 2024 and 2025, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission’s 2025 Internet Crime Report. It is important to remember that the FBI will never contact you by phone asking for money or threatening arrest if you share information. Any caller who calls should be considered a scammer, no matter how convincing they sound (or look). Even if you think the call is legitimate, you can always hang up, look up the agency that is supposedly contacting you and verify any information directly with the agency.
Some current scams to watch out for
Long lottery
The 73-year-old retiree from southwest Washington spent nearly four years believing he had won the $22 million Publishers Clearing House prize. By the time he realized it was a scam, he had lost more than $600,000 and sold his house to try to pay off the money that the Jamaican man said was standing between him and his winnings.
Roshard Andrew Carty started contacting this woman in 2020, pretending to be a lottery employee. His demands gradually grew from small payments to demands that eventually consumed all of his retirement savings. When he tried to withdraw, Carty contacted him thousands of times at different numbers and platforms – at one point sending tow trucks and delivering pizzas to his home and contacted the landlord to contact him again.
Carty was sentenced last week in US District Court in Tacoma to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud. Government officials note that legal lotteries never require winners to pay upfront fees or taxes to collect a prize. If you’re told you’ve won something in a sweepstakes you didn’t enter, it’s probably a scam.
Scam farm documents
The FBI is warning consumers about a growing wave of texting scams designed to scare people and give them access to their bank accounts.
Messages range from plain text to polished imitations of Apple Pay notifications and security alerts. Christopher Delzotto, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, said in a statement that many came from organized conferences in Laos and Cambodia, where workers were lured with promises of legitimate jobs and forced to carry out fraudulent activities.
US and international authorities have made hundreds of arrests in connection with these networks in recent years. The FBI’s San Diego office recently assisted in more than 275 arrests linked to a syndicate of fraud in Southeast Asia.
If you fall victim to one of these scams, report it to ic3.gov immediately – the FBI says reporting the scam within the first 24 hours can greatly improve your chances of recovering the stolen funds.
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The most common types of scams you should be aware of
Fraudsters are always upping their game, coming up with new and (their) fun ways to trick their targets. AI-powered scams are one example of this; technology is used to reach a large number of people with increasingly convincing techniques
But some tricks never go out of style. Most scams fall into a few common patterns, and many long-standing schemes are still a threat today. They have recently evolved to better fit today’s digital landscape
- Fraudster scams: Fraudsters often pose as trusted figures such as government agencies, banks, employers and even friends or family to pressure victims into sending money or sharing personal information.
- Phishing and fraud: These scams use emails, texts or phone calls that appear to be from legitimate organizations. The goal is to trick you into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or providing sensitive information
- Online shopping scams: Fraudsters can create fake online stores or listings with hard-to-find items at unusually low prices. After paying for an article, what you end up getting may be fake – or it may never arrive in the first place
- Investment scams: This type of scam often comes with promises of high returns from crypto, forex or other “exclusive” opportunities. Many involve long-term make-up schemes where victims are encouraged to invest more money over time before losing it all
- Scams in love:Some scammers try to get into your pocket by heart. They build relationships with you on dating apps or social media, then convince you to give up money and assets by creating contingency or investment opportunities.
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What to do if you are a victim – or the victim of a scam
No one is immune to fraud or embezzlement, but a few consistent practices can reduce their risk and the damage they cause.
First, be suspicious of unsolicited messages, especially those that create fear or urgency. This could look like an email from your bank threatening to close your account, a text from an online marketplace saying you’ll lose your rebate or a call from the IRS saying they’ll report you to the authorities unless you “act now.”
Scammers like to use this type of language because it puts you in a position, which they expect will move you to action.
Always verify any requests from the organization by checking official phone numbers, email or website. And don’t click on any links, download email attachments or reply to messages you suspect are fraudulent. A legitimate organization will not pressure you into immediate action or secrecy
Now, if you’ve already sent financial information or money to someone you suspect is a scammer, you’ll need to take a few steps to protect your data and possibly get your money back. Contact your bank, credit card company or payment platform immediately and try to stop or reverse the transaction. Be sure to change any passwords and enable multi-factor authentication to protect your accounts as well.
Reporting a scam can also help protect others. You can file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and local authorities at the nearest police department or sheriff’s office. Victims of identity theft should also consider temporarily freezing their credit
Finally, review your financial statements and credit reports regularly, keep your software up to date and limit how much personal information you share online. Fraudsters often rely on publicly available information to make their schemes more believable
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