ALERT: Fake “official” calls: fake FTC officials (US), spoofed police numbers (UK), fake bank staff (Argentina)

The short version: If an unexpected call is about money, a crime or your accounts, hang up. Then contact the company or agency yourself, using a number from its real website, the back of your card or your bill. Do not use the number the caller gave you.

What is happening

Callers pretend to be a trusted authority. Then they pressure you to give information or money.

US (Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, alert, 22 Oct 2026). The FTC is a US government agency that protects consumers. A caller claims to be an FTC official. They say a phone registered in your name is being used for scams in another country. They read out a fake badge ID. They threaten to “deactivate” (shut off) your phone number. Then they transfer you to a fake police officer. If you doubt them, they may tell you to look up the police department and call it yourself. The scammers answer that call. Later they say you will be arrested unless you send money as a “security deposit.”

The FTC says a real FTC employee never asks for money. A real FTC employee never threatens to cut off your phone. A real FTC employee never tells you to keep it secret. A real FTC employee never texts a photo of an ID to prove who they are.

UK (Report Fraud, run by City of London Police, 15 Oct 2026). Report Fraud says it saw a sharp rise in reports of calls from “spoofed” police numbers. Spoofing means the caller ID shows a real organization’s number, but the caller is a criminal. Report Fraud says the calls may use AI (artificial intelligence), be automated (a recording), or be a live person. The aim is to get personal or financial details, or money. Report Fraud says the reports it received are likely a small part of the real total.

Argentina (TN report, 20 Oct 2026). TN is a news outlet in Argentina. It reports that the BCRA, Argentina’s central bank, warned about phone calls. The callers pretend to be staff from the BCRA, a bank or a digital wallet (an app that holds your money). They say there is an error or a problem with your account. They want you to act fast. TN says the BCRA advises not to answer right away, to find the company’s official contact details yourself, and to check with the company. The BCRA’s general advice page adds: if in doubt, stop the contact and reach the company through its official channels (the phone numbers and websites the company publishes itself). The October warning rests on the TN report. We could not open the BCRA’s own post.

A related trick is on the BCRA’s general advice page. Someone says they sent you money by mistake and asks you to send it back. The BCRA says to first check your own account to see if the money really arrived. It also says not to use links or details sent by the person who contacted you. The same page says not to use ATMs (cash machines), apps or home banking (online banking) while on a call with someone who says they are from a bank or an agency. It also says the BCRA does not ask for passwords or bank details by phone, email, message or social media. The BCRA’s news page of 6 Aug 2025 adds that banks and public bodies (government offices) never ask you for verification codes (codes sent to prove it is you).

We opened the BCRA guidance page and the TN article. The BCRA guidance page is general advice and is not dated. Its news version is dated 6 Aug 2025. It is not a new BCRA alert.

Do this today (steps 1 to 4 take about 4 minutes; step 5 is optional)

1. Pick one rule and write it where you will see it: If an unexpected call is about money, a crime or your accounts, hang up. Then contact the company or agency yourself, using a number from its real website, the back of your card or your bill. Do not use a number the caller gave you or told you to search for.
2. Save the right numbers in your phone now.
   • Your bank’s number, from the back of your card.
   • UK readers: also save 159 and 101. Report Fraud names both. 159 connects you to your bank if your bank and your phone company take part. If they do not, use the number on the back of your card. 101 is the police when it is not an emergency. Call 999 if you are in danger.
   • UK readers: After you hang up, use a different phone or wait at least 10 minutes before calling back. Criminals can sometimes stay on the line.
3. Do not trust caller ID (the name or number on your screen). Do not use a number or website the caller gave you. Do not search for what the caller tells you to search for. The FTC says the scam guides what you search, and the number you find can lead back to the scammers. Hang up first. Then find the number yourself, on your card, your bill or the official website.
4. Never move money, share a code or let someone control your computer because of an unexpected call. Real banks and police do not ask for this. Take Five (a UK fraud-awareness campaign) lists being asked for a one-time passcode, password or PIN as a warning sign, and the BCRA says banks do not ask for codes.
5. Optional, about 5 minutes (menus differ by bank): if your bank offers a passkey (sign-in with your fingerprint, face or phone lock) or an authenticator app (an app that makes sign-in codes), turn it on. Then a stolen password alone is not enough. If your bank only offers text-message codes, keep them on. They still add some protection. Never read a code aloud to anyone who calls you.
6. Only if you got a call like this, report it. Getting the money back isn’t guaranteed.
   • US: Go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, contact the bank, card company or payment app you used right away, and ask them to reverse the payment.
   • UK: If you lost money or shared details, call your bank first, using the number on your card or in its official app. Then report it. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, call Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call 101. To report a scam call you got on a mobile phone, copy the number. Then text the word Call and the number to 7726. This is for calls to a mobile phone. If the call came to a landline, or the number was withheld, ask your phone company how to report it.
   • Argentina: Call your bank first, using an official channel, such as its official app or the website address you type in yourself. Then contact UFECI, the cybercrime prosecutors, on +54 11 5071-0040. If your bank does not solve it, you can file a claim on the BCRA online claim form. The BCRA asks you to claim with your bank first and to wait at least 10 business days. You can also call Defensa del Consumidor (the consumer protection office) on 0800-666-1518.

Sources (checked 27 Oct 2026)

• FTC, 22 Oct 2026: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/10/ftc-not-calling-deactivate-your-phone-number
• Report Fraud, 15 Oct 2026: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/news/alert-police-forces-being-impersonated-in-scam-calls/
• TN (Argentina), 20 Oct 2026: https://tn.com.ar/sociedad/2026/10/20/dicen-que-hubo-un-error-y-vacian-tu-cuenta-bancaria-como-es-la-nueva-estafa-virtual-que-pone-en-alerta-a-los-usuarios/
• BCRA guidance (general advice, undated): https://www.bcra.gob.ar/como-prevenir-estafas-virtuales/
• BCRA fraud-claim page: https://www.bcra.gob.ar/realizar-un-reclamo-ante-el-banco-central-por-fraude-o-estafa/
• UFECI (MPF): https://www.mpf.gob.ar/ufeci/
• Take Five (UK Finance), warning signs: https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/protect-yourself/
• Police Service of Northern Ireland, 27 Oct 2026: https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/police-issue-warning-light-recent-courier-fraud-reports

Checked: 27 Oct 2026. The ‘different phone or wait 10 minutes’ tip was added on 28 Oct 2026 and checked against the Police Service of Northern Ireland page of 27 Oct 2026. Our disclosure: SafeinAI has no affiliate links and earns nothing from this page. If this ever changes we will say so here.