10/07/2026
BROWN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE — FINANCIAL CRIME AWARENESS SERIES
IMPERSONATION SCAMS - STOP, HANG-UP AND VERIFY!
An impersonation scam occurs when the scammer pretends to be a person, business, government agency, financial institution, law enforcement officer, family member, or other trusted individual in order to convince you to send money, provide personal information, give them access to your accounts, or take some other action that benefits the scammer.
They may contact you by telephone, text message, email, social media, video call, or even through a pop-up on your computer.
Scammers can also use artificial intelligence to create convincing voices, photographs and videos of people you know.
The Federal Trade Commission received more than 1 million reports of imposter scams in 2025, making impersonation scams the most frequently reported type of fraud. Consumers reported losing approximately $3.5 BILLION to these scams in 2025, and those numbers only represent losses that were reported.
In 2025, Wisconsin residents age 60 and older reported more than $92 MILLION in losses to internet-enabled elder fraud, involving more than 3,000 reported victims. Again, only a fraction of these cases are reported.
HOW AN IMPERSONATION SCAM WORKS: Contact, Story, Pressure and Demand
Although the stories change, the process is often the same.
1. THE CONTACT
The scammer contacts you unexpectedly:
“This is your bank's fraud department.”
“This is the Sheriff's Office.”
“This is the IRS.”
“This is Microsoft technical support.”
“This is your grandson. I'm in trouble.”
2. THE STORY
The scammer creates a problem that sounds serious and believable:
“Your identity has been stolen.”
“Your bank account has been compromised.”
“There is a warrant for your arrest.”
“You owe money to the government.”
“Your computer has a virus.”
“A family member has been arrested or injured.”
“Someone is attempting to steal your money.”
3. THE PRESSURE
The scammer tells you that you must act immediately.
They will tell you not to hang up, not to talk to anyone, or not to tell your family because doing so will supposedly make the situation worse.
Scammers create FEAR, URGENCY AND ISOLATION to prevent you from having time to think or independently verify what you are being told.
4. THE DEMAND
Eventually, the scammer needs you to do something. You may be instructed to:
• Transfer money to a "safe" or "secure" account • Withdraw cash and give it to a courier • Purchase gift cards • Send cryptocurrency • Use a Bitcoin or cryptocurrency ATM • Provide your bank account or credit card information • Provide your Social Security number or other personal information • Give the scammer a password or verification code • Click a link or download software • Allow someone remote access to your computer
The scammers often impersonate multiple different people throughout the process to give the perception of legitimacy. One person may pretend to be your bank, another may claim to be law enforcement, and another may claim to be a government investigator who can help you recover your money.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
The most important thing you can do is STOP!
If someone unexpectedly contacts you and tells you that you have an urgent financial, legal, computer or family emergency, do not immediately do what they tell you to do.
HANG UP!
Do not call the number they give you.
Do not click the link they send you.
Do not trust the caller ID. Caller ID can be spoofed to make a call appear to come from your bank, a government agency or a local law enforcement agency.
Independently VERIFY the story. If someone claims to be from your bank, use the telephone number printed on your bank statement, debit card or credit card.
If someone claims to be from a government agency or law enforcement agency, find the agency's legitimate telephone number yourself and call the agency directly.
If someone claims to be a family member, call that person using the phone number you already have for them.
If someone claims to be a friend or coworker, contact them through a method you have previously used.
Never transfer your money simply because someone tells you that you need to move it to "protect" it.
A legitimate government agency will not demand that you move your money to a supposedly secure account.
Anyone telling you to transfer money to protect it is a scammer!
Never provide a verification code to someone who calls or messages you.
That code may be the final piece the scammer needs to take control of your account.
If someone is telling you that you cannot tell your spouse, child, friend, bank or law enforcement about what is happening, that is a scammer!
WHEN IN DOUBT, STOP, HANG-UP AND VERIFY!
Scammers want you to react.
They want you to be afraid.
They want you to believe them before you have time to question them.
You do not have to make an immediate decision just because someone tells you that you do.
If you or someone you know has been targeted by an impersonation scam, report it.
Contact your financial institution immediately if money or account information has been provided, contact your local law enforcement agency, and report internet-enabled fraud to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
