Imposter scam.
In plain English
An imposter scam is fraud in which the scammer impersonates a trusted person or organization: your bank, a government agency, a well-known company, a tech-support desk, or even a relative in trouble. The impersonation lends instant credibility, which the scammer pairs with urgency and a specific payment demand, often a wire, gift cards, or a payment app, forms of payment that are hard to reverse. It is one of the most reported fraud categories. The common defense across all its variants is to independently verify the contact through an official channel before sending anything.
01Why it matters
Imposter scams are among the most common and costly because a trusted identity plus urgency is so persuasive, so the habit of verifying independently before paying is the single most protective response.
02The math, step by step
A call, text, or email claims to be your bank, a government office, or a grandchild in trouble, and needs money right now through gift cards or a wire. The trusted identity plus urgency is the formula. Hanging up and reaching the real party through a number you look up yourself breaks it.
03What this is NOT
It is not distinguishable by the displayed identity, which can be faked. The signature of an imposter scam is a demand for fast payment by wire, gift card, or app, methods real institutions do not require and that are hard to claw back.
04Receipts
Every figure on this page is sourced to a primary document. Tap to open the original.