What to Do If a Scammer Is Threatening You Right Now

If a caller, texter, or emailer is threatening you with arrest, jail, deportation, license suspension, harm to a grandchild, or release of compromising material — stop and take a breath. These threats are not real. Real federal agents, police, judges, prosecutors, and the IRS do not threaten people over the phone. They do not demand payment in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. They do not call to negotiate. This guide walks you through how to safely disengage right now, what to say to the scammer (nothing), and how to report after.

You are safe. Whatever the caller is threatening is not real. There is no warrant. There is no investigation. Your grandchild is not in jail. Your benefits are not being suspended. Hang up the phone. Then call a family member or the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 to talk through what just happened.

Step 1 — Hang up. Disengage. You owe them nothing.

You are not obligated to listen, explain, defend yourself, or stay on the call. Scammers rely on social pressure — the part of us that doesn’t want to be rude. Hanging up during the threats is the right thing to do. They will try to call back. Do not answer.

Hang up. Do not say “goodbye” — just hang up.
Block the number on your phone. Most phones: tap the i or info icon next to the call in recent calls, then “Block.”
Do not respond to follow-up texts or emails from the same source.
Do not call the number back to “clear things up.”

Step 2 — Call a trusted family member or friend

Speaking the situation out loud breaks the spell of the threat. Tell a family member, friend, or neighbor exactly what was said. Their outside perspective will confirm what your gut is already telling you: the threats were a scam.

Step 3 — If you already sent money, see your specific emergency guide

Each payment method has its own recovery path:

Step 4 — Document what was said

Even if no money changed hands, the threats themselves are a federal crime. Document for law enforcement and the FBI:

Date and time of the call(s).
The phone number(s) the caller used. Take a screenshot of your recent-calls list.
What they claimed (agency, scheme, threat).
What they demanded (payment, information, action).
How you ended the call.
Any voicemails — save them, don’t delete.
Any text messages or emails — screenshot, don’t delete.

Step 5 — Report the threats

If you can only make one call: the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11. They will help you document the threats, file with the FBI IC3 on your behalf, and route you to the impersonation-specific reports below.

Then, when you have time, also report to:

FBI IC3 at ic3.gov — threats by phone, text, or email are within FBI jurisdiction
FTC ReportFraud at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Your local police non-emergency line — for a written incident report
Your state Attorney General consumer-protection division
If the threat impersonated the IRS — TIGTA at tigta.gov or 1-800-366-4484
If the threat impersonated Social Security — SSA OIG at oig.ssa.gov/report or 1-800-269-0271
If the threat impersonated police or sheriff — call your real local sheriff at the number on their website

If threats continue or become specific (your address, family names)

In the vast majority of cases, scammer threats are scripted and not connected to any real ability to act on them. But if threats become specific — naming your home address, your family members, your workplace — or if any in-person contact occurs:

Call your local police non-emergency line and ask for an officer to take a report in person.
Tell a trusted neighbor what is happening so they know to be aware.
Consider activating a 90-day fraud alert with credit bureaus in case identity theft is in play.
Document every new contact attempt — dates, times, what was said.

Why scammers threaten you

Threats work because they trigger the part of the brain that overrides reflection. The scammer doesn’t actually have any power — no warrant, no investigation, no agency authority. They have a script that has worked on enough people to be worth running again. The script has the same structure every time: (1) establish authority, (2) create urgency, (3) threaten immediate consequence, (4) offer a way out that costs money. Recognizing the structure is the first defense.

How real federal agencies actually contact you

The IRS contacts you by physical mail (CP-series notices). They will never threaten arrest, demand gift cards, or call out of the blue.
Social Security contacts you by physical mail. They will never call to suspend your number — your number cannot be suspended.
The FBI does not call to negotiate. They show up in person with a badge and credentials.
Local police and sheriff do not call to collect bail bonds, missed jury duty fines, or warrant fees by phone.
Immigration / ICE does not call to threaten deportation in exchange for money.
Medicare does not call you to ask for your Medicare number — they already have it.

How to prevent this happening again

Treat any unsolicited call making threats as a scam. Hang up.
Real agencies use mail, not phone calls or texts.
Real bills don’t get paid in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
If a caller insists you can’t hang up — that’s a scam. You can always hang up.
If a caller insists you can’t tell your family — that’s a scam. Tell your family immediately.
Use a call-screening service or your phone’s built-in spam filter to reduce incoming scam calls.

When to call for help

National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Free, confidential, DOJ-staffed. Open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern Time. English, Spanish, and other languages available. They will help you identify what type of fraud occurred, document the incident, and connect you to the right reporting agencies.

Two rules that prevent most scams

Rule 1. If they called you, emailed you, or messaged you — hang up. Call back at a number you find yourself.

Rule 2. Never pay anyone in gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or by mail. Real bills are not paid these ways.