Government, police and legal threat scams

Government, police and legal-threat scams impersonate authorities to frighten you into paying 'fines' or sharing ID.

How government, police and legal threat scams work

A fake official claims you owe a fine, face arrest, or have a legal case, using fear and urgency.

You're pushed to pay immediately, share ID/KYC, or stay on a call to 'resolve' it.

Genuine agencies use official processes and never demand payment to a personal account or 'safe account'.

Common opening lines

• “A case is filed against you - pay now to avoid arrest.”
• “Court notice: settle the penalty immediately.”
• “Your ID was used in a crime - cooperate now.”

Example patterns

Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.

Red flags

• threat
• fake authority
• urgency
• payment request

What to do now

1. Hang up or stop replying; real authorities don't work this way.
2. Don't transfer money to 'prove innocence' or a 'safe account'.
3. Save evidence, warn family, and report to your cybercrime authority.

What not to do

• Don't stay on threatening calls or follow remote instructions.
• Don't pay fines or 'clearance fees' via links, gift cards, crypto, or transfers.
• Don't share ID, Aadhaar/PAN, passport, or KYC details from a message link.

If you already responded

If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.

How to verify safely

Verify only through the agency's official website, app, or a phone number you look up yourself - never one from the message.

How to report

Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.

Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.

Sources checked

• NITI Aayog - Digital Arrest: The Modern-Day Cyber Scam
• FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025)

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05

This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.