Government, Tax & Legal Scams
Government, tax, and legal scams pretend to come from a tax authority, immigration office, court, or police force. They claim you owe money, missed a payment, or face arrest or deportation, and demand immediate payment, often by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Real agencies communicate through official letters and channels and do not demand payment in gift cards or threaten instant arrest by phone or text.
Common red flags
- Threats of arrest, deportation, or legal action unless you pay now
- Demands for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- Caller ID or sender details that 'spoof' a real agency
- Pressure to keep the matter secret and act immediately
- Requests for personal identifiers like your tax or ID number
Government & Tax scam guides
IRS Tax Scam
This scam uses a call, voicemail, text, or email pretending to be the IRS or another tax agency, claiming you owe back taxes and threatening arrest, lawsuit, or deportation unless you pay at once by gift card, wire, or crypto.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Social Security Scam
This scam uses a call, robocall, or voicemail claiming your Social Security number has been 'suspended' over suspicious activity, then pressures you to confirm your number or pay to 'reactivate' it.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Jury Duty Scam
This scam involves a call, voicemail, or text claiming you missed jury duty and now face a fine or arrest unless you pay immediately, often by gift card or prepaid card. The caller uses fear and urgency to push you into paying before you can check.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
CRA Tax Scam
This scam uses a call, text, or email posing as the Canada Revenue Agency to claim you owe tax or are due a refund, then threatens arrest or demands payment by e-transfer, gift card, or crypto. The goal is to frighten you into paying or handing over personal details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Immigration Scam
This scam involves a caller or message posing as an immigration or border agency that threatens deportation, visa cancellation, or arrest over a supposed problem with your status. The aim is to frighten you into making an immediate payment or handing over passport and personal details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Government Grant Scam
This scam uses a message, call, or social media post claiming you qualify for a free government grant, then asks for a processing fee or your bank details to 'release' money that does not actually exist.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Medicare Scam
In this scam a caller or message poses as Medicare or a health insurer, offering a new card, refund, or free equipment, then asks you to confirm your Medicare or personal ID number, which is later used for fraud.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Fake HMRC Tax Scam
This scam uses a text, call, or email posing as HMRC. It claims you owe tax and face arrest, or are due a refund, then pressures you to pay or hand over bank details through a link or over the phone.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Benefits Payment Scam
This scam claims you qualify for a benefit, grant, or cost-of-living payment and asks you to 'apply' by entering personal and bank details on a fake government-looking site that harvests the information.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Passport Renewal Scam
This scam uses copycat websites that imitate official passport renewal, visa, or travel authorisation services. They often appear in search results and adverts, look professional, and charge inflated fees for help with an application you could complete yourself. Some collect your card and personal details and never properly submit the application. Reaching the genuine government service directly, rather than through an advert or search link, is the safest way to renew a passport or apply for a visa.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Fake Court Fine Scam
In this scam, a call, email, text, or letter claims you have an unpaid court fine, parking penalty, or speeding fine, and demands immediate payment to avoid arrest or extra charges. The contact often uses official-sounding language, threats, and unusual payment methods such as gift cards, bank transfers, or cryptocurrency. Real courts and enforcement bodies follow formal processes and do not threaten instant arrest over the phone. Pausing to verify any fine through official channels is the safest response.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
TV Licence Scam
A TV licence scam is an email or text pretending to be from the TV licensing body. It typically claims your licence could not be renewed, a payment failed, or that you are owed a refund, and links to a fake page asking for your bank and card details. The genuine licensing body contacts people through official channels and does not ask you to confirm bank or card details by following a link in a text or email.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Council Tax Scam
This scam impersonates your local council to get at your bank and card details. A text, email, or phone call claims you are due a council tax refund or rebate, or that you owe arrears that must be settled at once. It then directs you to a fake page that looks official and asks for bank or card information to process the supposed refund or payment. The wording often mixes the appeal of money owed to you with the pressure of a threat. Real councils use official channels, send letters about genuine accounts, and do not ask you to hand over full bank or card details through a link in an unexpected message.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Census Scam
Around the times a census is run, scammers pose as census workers to gather sensitive personal and financial information. The approach can come by phone, at your door, or through email or text, and the impersonator may ask for payment, full bank or card details, or a national identification number such as a Social Security number. Genuine census operations collect household and demographic information for statistical purposes, but they do not ask for payment and do not need your full financial details. Knowing what a real census does and does not ask makes it much easier to spot an impostor and protect your information.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
National Insurance Scam
This scam usually arrives as an automated phone call or a message claiming your National Insurance number has been compromised or suspended because of suspected fraud. It pressures you to press a button to speak to an operator or to call a number back, then tries to get personal details or a payment to fix the supposed problem. The threat is designed to frighten you into acting fast. In reality a National Insurance number is a permanent reference that cannot simply be suspended or cancelled by a phone call, and genuine bodies do not deal with such matters through automated threats demanding immediate payment or personal information.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Student Loan Forgiveness Scam
This scam promises student loan forgiveness, cancellation, or reduced payments in exchange for an upfront fee or your loan account login, taking your money or hijacking your account while real programs remain free.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Voter Registration Scam
This scam impersonates election or government officials, claiming you must re-register, verify, or pay to vote, in order to harvest personal data like ID numbers or to charge a bogus fee.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Police Impersonation Scam
In this scam, callers pose as police or law enforcement, claim you are linked to a crime or have a warrant, and demand immediate payment or personal details to 'clear your name' or avoid arrest.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
DMV License Renewal Scam
This scam impersonates the DMV or driver licensing authority with a text or email claiming your license or registration needs urgent renewal or verification, linking to a fake page that collects your fees and personal details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Health Insurance Marketplace Scam
In this scam, callers or websites impersonate official health insurance marketplaces or agents, offering low-cost plans or 'enrollment help' to collect your personal and payment details or sell worthless coverage.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Vital Records Scam
In this scam, third-party websites pose as official vital records services for birth, marriage, or death certificates, charging inflated fees, adding hidden subscriptions, or harvesting personal data without delivering documents.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Visa Application Scam
In this scam, third-party websites pose as official visa or travel authorisation services (such as ESTA, ETA, or eTA), charging inflated fees, adding bogus services, or harvesting your passport and payment details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Business Registration Scam
In this scam, third-party services or official-looking letters pose as business registration, tax ID (EIN), or compliance filing authorities, charging inflated or bogus fees for filings that are free or low-cost officially.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Voting Fine Scam
This scam, common where voting is compulsory, claims you have been fined for failing to vote and must pay immediately through a link, leading to a fake page that collects your card and personal details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Child Benefit Scam
This scam impersonates a child benefit or child support agency, claiming you must update details, verify eligibility, or that a payment is pending, to collect your bank and personal details or a bogus fee.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Driving Test Booking Scam
This scam uses third-party websites posing as the official driving test booking service, charging inflated fees, reselling cancellation slots, or harvesting your licence and payment details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Speed Awareness Course Scam
This scam offers a fake speed awareness course as an alternative to penalty points, demanding payment and personal details through a link, or claims you must book one for an offence that may not exist.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Tax Credits Renewal Scam
This scam impersonates a tax authority about tax credits, claiming you must renew, verify, or that a payment is pending, to collect your bank and personal details or a bogus fee.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Frequently asked questions
Do government agencies demand payment by gift card?
Can a tax office threaten to arrest me by phone?
How do I verify a message from a government agency?
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