Government Agency Impersonation Scam
Attack Trigger
Government authority combined with threats of arrest, fines, or benefit cancellation
What Attackers Want
$500–$20,000 via gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto
How This Attack Works
Scammers impersonate federal agencies including the IRS, Social Security Administration, FTC, and Department of Homeland Security. Emails and calls threaten legal consequences, arrest warrants, or frozen benefits unless the victim pays immediately or provides personal information. Government agencies do not demand payment by gift card, crypto, or wire transfer.
Red Flags to Watch For
- ✗Real government agencies never demand gift card or crypto payments
- ✗IRS does not initiate contact by email, text, or social media
- ✗Arrest threats over unpaid taxes or suspended benefits are never issued by email
- ✗Caller or email requests your Social Security Number, bank details, or tax ID
- ✗Official-looking letterhead or badge numbers to appear legitimate
- ✗Pressure to pay immediately and not consult a lawyer or family member
- ✗Reply-to or sender domain is not a .gov address
Known Malicious Domains
These domains have been associated with this attack. Never click links going to these addresses.
- irs-gov-notice.comMALICIOUS
- ssa-official-alert.netMALICIOUS
- ftc-refund-claim.comMALICIOUS
- dhs-security-notice.netMALICIOUS
Glance automatically blocks emails from domains on this list. Domain list is not exhaustive — attackers register new domains continuously.
How Glance Stops This
- Domain similarity analysis catches lookalike sender addresses at millisecond speed
- SPF / DKIM / DMARC validation flags authentication failures before you ever see the email
- VirusTotal + Google Safe Browsing checks every link in real time
- Urgency language detection scores the email higher for manual review
- Known malicious domain blocklist updated continuously from live scan data
Don't wait to get hit.
Glance scans every incoming email against 12 detection layers — including the exact tactics described above — before it reaches your inbox.
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