IRS — Tax Scams / Consumer Alerts — How IRS contacts you (and how they don’t).
🌐 https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts
SSA — Scam Alerts — Official contact rules and reporting.
🌐 https://www.ssa.gov/scam/
FTC — Business/Government Imposter Scams — Patterns and prevention.
🌐 https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam
Microsoft — Avoid Tech Support Scams — What real companies will never ask, and recovery steps.
🌐 https://support.microsoft.com/topic/avoid-tech-support-scams-2ebf91bd-3fc0-44e2-a29d-04f9a9eb2f63
Verify independently. Use the number on your statement or the official .gov/.com site.
No codes, no payments. Agencies and banks don’t ask for one-time codes or gift cards.
Don’t allow remote access. Legit tech support won’t cold-call you to “fix” your device.
Logos can be faked; policies can’t. Compare what they’re asking to the agency’s official rules.
When in doubt, hang up and call the real number.
Government doesn’t take payment by gift card, crypto, or Zelle.
