As Los Angeles County recovers from the Eaton and Palisade Fires, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) is warning residents to be on the lookout for government imposter scams. Scammers often take advantage of disasters to scam people into giving them money or personal information by creating a false sense of urgency.
Types of Government Imposter Scams:
- General Government Imposter Scams: Scammers might send emails, phone calls, or online messages pretending to be from real government agencies. They often pressure you to act quickly so you don’t have time to verify their claims. Unless you have contacted a government agency first, they typically start communication with you by letter.
- IRS Imposter Scams: These scammers will claim you owe money to the IRS for unpaid taxes and may even threaten legal action if you don’t pay immediately. This use of threatening language is a common tactic to create panic and urgency.
- Social Security Imposter Scams: Scammers might claim there’s a problem with your Social Security account or offer to increase your benefits for a fee. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always verify unexpected claims by contacting the Social Security Administration directly.
- Medicare Impersonation Scams: You may receive a call, email, text, or social media message claiming to be from Medicare, requesting your Medicare, bank account, or credit card numbers for a “new” Medicare card. Remember, Medicare sends its cards automatically and free of charge. You should never need to provide personal information or make any payments for your Medicare card.
- Law Enforcement Imposter Scams: Scammers might impersonate your local sheriff’s office or a court official, claiming there’s a warrant out for your arrest, or that you must pay a penalty for missing jury duty. Always verify such claims by directly contacting the government agency using information from their official website.
- Immigration Services Scams: If someone calls claiming to be from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or another agency, saying there is a problem with an immigration application and demanding payment to resolve it, this is likely a scam. Always contact USCIS or the mentioned agency directly to verify any such claims.
How to Protect Yourself from Scams
- Double-check who is contacting you. Scammers can fake caller IDs, emails, and documents to make themselves look official. Always verify the source before responding by contacting the agency directly through official contact information found on their website. Do not use contact details provided in the suspicious communication.
- Keep your personal information private. Never share your bank account, credit card details, or Social Security number unless you are sure who you are dealing with.
- Don’t send money in unusual ways. Scammers often ask for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or prepaid debit cards because these methods are hard to trace. A real government agency will never ask for payment this way.
- Report anything suspicious. If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, report it to DCBA:
- By phone: (800) 593-8222.
- By email: complaints@dcba.lacounty.gov
- Online: lacounty.gov
