Reports of government imposter scams jumped 40 percent, and the driver is a message you have probably already received: an unpaid toll, a late fee, a threat to suspend your vehicle registration.
The texts spoof real toll collection programs. They use the actual name of your state's system, they include a plausible small amount, and they give you a link. The amount is small on purpose — $6.42 is easier to just pay than to investigate. That's the entire design.
The bigger number underneath
Consumers have reported losing more than $4 billion to scams involving bank transfers and cryptocurrency. Many of those involved criminals posing as government agencies, trusted businesses, or both at once — the "your account is compromised, this is the bank, now the fraud department, now a federal agent" sequence that moves people through escalating false authority.
Both payment methods share a feature: once the money leaves, it does not come back. That is not incidental. It's the reason scammers steer every conversation toward wire transfers and crypto.
Who is being targeted right now
Veterans are getting postcards claiming they may qualify for extra monthly benefits through a "Veterans Savings Program." That program does not exist. The postcard is a phishing attempt for personal and financial details. A related version has callers posing as Department of Veterans Affairs staff offering to help apply for benefits for a fee — applying with the VA is free.
Romance scams are climbing again, with reported losses up 22 percent and average losses reaching roughly $2,020 per person.
Brushing scams continue: a package arrives that you did not order. Someone is using your name and address to post a fake review. It seems harmless because nothing was charged, but it means your details are circulating in a system you did not consent to.
And deepfake fraud is rising quickly, with consumer protection groups and the FBI expecting that to continue. The cloned-voice call from a relative in trouble is no longer theoretical.
Three habits that cover most of it
Never use the link. Not in a toll text, not in a bank alert, not in a delivery notice. Open the app or type the address yourself. Every scam listed above depends on you following a path the sender controls.
Treat urgency as the signal. Real agencies do not threaten registration suspension by SMS on a Tuesday afternoon. Pressure to act within minutes is the single most reliable tell across every category of fraud.
Verify through a channel they didn't give you. If someone claims to be from your bank, hang up and call the number on your card. If a relative calls in distress, hang up and call them back on their own number. A voice can be cloned. A callback to a number you already have cannot be intercepted.
If you already paid
Contact your bank immediately — same day matters for transfers. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov. And be ready for the follow-up: recovery scams specifically target people who have already been defrauded, promising to get the money back for a fee. Nobody legitimate charges you upfront to recover stolen funds.
Image: RDNE Stock project, via Pexels
