The threat
The Federal Trade Commission has described an impersonation scheme in which callers claim a phone registered in your name is being used for crimes abroad. They threaten to disconnect your number and may transfer the call to someone posing as a police officer.
The next demand
The agency says the scheme can escalate into requests for identity information and a payment described as a security deposit. A supposed badge number or a staged callback does not make the caller genuine.
What the agency says
The FTC says its employees do not threaten to cut off phone service, demand money, or tell people to keep conversations secret. Read its complete alert and use the reporting links provided by the agency.
Prepared with AI assistance. Source-based reporting checked on October 23, 2026. This article does not update automatically. Read our editorial standards.
