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If an unexpected email claims to be from a government agency, pause: do not reply, click a link, open an attachment, share information, or pay through the message. Check the claim using the agency’s official website, account, or a phone number you find independently—not the contact details in the email. Urgency, threats, requests for sensitive information, and unusual payment demands are warning signs, but no single clue proves whether a message is genuine.
What are the warning signs of a government impersonation email?
Scammers may imitate an agency’s branding, use official-sounding language, or include a name, address, or employee ID to seem credible. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that personal details do not authenticate the sender. Treat the message’s request and the route it gives you to respond as reasons to stop and verify.
- Pressure to act immediately: Phrases such as “Act now” or “Immediate action required” are warning signs.
- Threats: Be cautious of claims that you will be arrested or lose benefits unless you act or pay.
- Requests for sensitive information: A message asking for your Social Security or banking details deserves independent verification.
- Unusual payment demands: Requests to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency are strong warning signs. The FTC says: “The FTC will never threaten you, say you must transfer your money to ‘protect it,’ or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone.”
These cues are not a complete detection test: a polished email or one containing accurate personal details can still be an impersonation. The FTC’s guidance is to avoid giving personal or financial information to someone who contacts you claiming to be from the government and to contact the agency directly using a known correct number if you think the contact might be real. FTC guidance on government impersonation scams
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- Do not use the email’s route. Don’t reply, click a link, open an attachment, or call a number included in the message to confirm it.
- Go to the agency independently. Type the agency’s known official web address yourself or use a bookmark you already trust. If you need to sign in, reach the account from that site rather than from the email.
- Check the underlying claim. Look for the notice or issue in your official account, follow the agency’s instructions for checking notices, or call a phone number obtained from the agency’s official site or other trusted records.
- Compare the request with the agency’s own guidance. Agency contact practices differ, so check the specific agency’s official information rather than assuming every government office follows the same rules.
A sender address ending in .gov can be a useful clue: Login.gov says official agency emails typically end that way. But the address alone does not authenticate a particular message. Check the exact sender details, then verify the claim outside the email. Do not click a suspicious link to inspect it; navigate independently instead. Login.gov’s guidance for verifying messages
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What is different about an email claiming to be from the IRS?
The IRS’s contact rules are an IRS-specific example, not a rule to apply to every agency. In guidance updated July 8, 2025, the IRS says it does not make initial contact through email or social media; a letter or notice is the first way it contacts a taxpayer. It also says it sends texts only with taxpayer permission. If an email claims you owe tax or must act on an IRS notice, check a secure IRS Online Account, review the IRS’s notice guidance, or contact the IRS directly through an official channel. IRS: Ways to tell if the IRS is reaching out or if it’s a scammer
The FTC also warns that the IRS will not email, text, or message someone on social media with threats or demands to pay. Its guidance describes an exception involving contracted private debt collectors: their contact follows written notices. Do not accept a caller’s explanation or use a callback number supplied in a suspicious message; verify through the IRS. FTC guidance on government impersonation scams
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How do you report a suspicious email?
If it claims to be from the IRS or Treasury
Use the IRS instructions for reporting fake IRS, Treasury, or tax-related emails and messages. The IRS offers ways to save the email and attach it or use “Forward as attachment” where available. Ordinary forwarding can strip information that may help investigators, so follow the IRS’s instructions rather than casually forwarding it.
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If it claims to be from another agency
Find the agency’s reporting instructions on its official website. You can also report a government impersonation scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the incident involves stolen identity information, Login.gov points people to IdentityTheft.gov for identity-theft help.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What if you already clicked or shared information?
Stop interacting with the message. Go directly to the affected account or agency using an independently verified official route, then follow the recovery guidance for the information or account exposed. The right steps depend on what you entered; there is no single fix for every incident.
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- If you entered tax-related information on a linked site: Use the IRS’s official identity-protection guidance, reached from the IRS phishing-email guidance.
- If your identity information was stolen: Use the identity-theft resources at IdentityTheft.gov, which Login.gov identifies as a resource for people dealing with identity theft.
- If you exposed an account: Reach the service through its official site or app and follow its account-security and recovery instructions.
For help recognizing and verifying suspicious messages, consult Login.gov’s message-verification guidance alongside the affected agency’s official instructions.
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