Scam Examples Secria

Scam calls, and the lines they use

Phone scammers rely on a few lines: you'll be arrested, decide now, pay by gift card. Hearing any of them is your cue to hang up.1

+1 (202) 555-0164

Voicemail transcript

This is Agent Moore with the Federal Trade Commission, badge 4471. A phone registered in your name is being used for scams overseas.1 If you don't call back today, your number will be deactivated.2 I'll transfer you to the police to file a report.3 Don't discuss this case with anyone.4

  1. A government official calling out of the blue. The FTC described this exact call in October 2026, down to the fake badge number.2
  2. A threat. A real FTC employee will never threaten to disconnect your phone.2
  3. A transfer to "the police". The officer is part of the scam, and so is anyone who answers a number they tell you to look up.2
  4. Secrecy. The FTC never tells you to keep a conversation secret.2

What to do Don't call back. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.2

Rebuilt from the FTC's 22 October 2026 alert; the name, badge and number are made up. Checked 4 November 2026 against the sources.

Five lines, and the truth

The FTC's signs of a phone scam, as a caller would say them.1

  1. "You've won, there's just a fee."If you have to pay to get a prize, there is no prize.1
  2. "There's a warrant for your arrest."Real law enforcement and federal agencies won't call and threaten you.1
  3. "This offer ends today."Honest businesses give you time to decide.1
  4. "Pay by gift card, crypto or wire.""Anyone who insists that you can only pay that way is a scammer."1
  5. "Confirm your Social Security number."No government agency will call out of the blue to ask for it.1

Hang up, then block

On the call

Hang up. On a robocall, don't press any number to reach a person or to be taken off the list: it may lead to more calls.1

Caller ID can lie: scammers can make any name or number show up.1

After the call

The FTC calls call blocking "your best defense against unwanted calls". Check what your carrier offers for your kind of phone, and read expert reviews of blocking apps.1

The Do Not Call Registry stops legal sales calls, not scammers.1

Report a scam call

Tell the FTC the number that called, the number on your caller ID, any callback number, and the date and time.1

  1. Lost money, or know who called: report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.1
  2. Only want to report the call: use the form at DoNotCall.gov.1
  3. Paid by card, bank transfer or payment app: call the company that moved the money today and ask for a reversal.3 Where to report each kind of scam

Questions people ask

Why am I getting so many scam calls?

The FTC says scammers don't care whether you're on the Do Not Call Registry, and unwanted sales calls are often illegal, so the caller is probably running a scam. Call blocking is the main fix.1

Should I press 1 to be removed from the list?

No. Pressing a number on a robocall may lead to more of them. Hang up.1

Are robocalls legal?

A company selling something needs your written permission to call you with a robocall.1 This is a summary, not legal advice.

The caller was transferred to the police. Is that real?

In the scam the FTC described in October 2026, the "police officer" was part of it, even when the caller told the victim to look the number up online.2

More scam examples

Sources 3
  1. Phone Scams (August 2023), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 4 November 2026.
  2. The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number (22 October 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 4 November 2026.
  3. What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 4 November 2026.

Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check