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A Michigan senior recently cashed out pensions belonging to herself and her late husband to pay a government impersonation scammer who threatened her with arrest if she didn’t.
As is common (1) with government impersonation scams, it all started with an email.
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The 70-year-old woman — an unidentified resident of Hazel Park, about 10 miles north of Detroit — received an email in March supposedly from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claiming she was targeted for arrest, according to CBS Detroit (2).
“They said that there was a car found that had a dead body in it, and there were drugs involved, and her name was attached to it, and her information was in the vehicle,” Detective Chad Jackson of the Hazel Park Police Department told the outlet.
A separate story (3) noted that the scam email told the woman to “call the agent in charge,” which she did. She reportedly learned of the bogus charges against her — money laundering and drug trafficking — and followed the scammer’s instructions to buy gold and hand it over when they visited her home in order to make the charges disappear.
She also obeyed the scammer’s demand to not contact police for fear of being arrested, which led to a second bogus payout that emptied the woman’s pension accounts.
How government impostor scams hook victims
The scammer, not satisfied with the gold, came back for cash. As a result, CBS Detroit reported (2) that the woman “cashed out her and her deceased husband’s pension accounts and, in total, paid the scammer more than $270,000.”
Police said she contacted them when the money wasn’t returned, as she’d been promised. They then began investigating, with CBS noting they utilized footage from community Flock cameras “to track down” and arrest the suspect — a 30-year-old man from Sacramento.
Moneywise reached out to the Hazel Park Police Department for further details about the case and to learn whether the woman’s money was returned, but didn’t immediately hear back.
The case, however, fits a classic pattern of government impersonation scams, as outlined by the FTC (1) where the fraudster portrays a government official, often by phone or email, to warn that “if you don’t pay or give them your personal information, something bad will happen.”
“Scammers claim to be a government officer warning that your Social Security number or some other information is being used to commit a crime such as drug smuggling or money laundering,” the FTC added (4), almost perfectly describing the Michigan victim’s case.
Stories of such fraud abound, from fake FTC agents who scammed a Connecticut woman out of $900,000 and a Pittsburgh victim out of over $5 million to imposter FBI agents who stole almost $600,000 from a Maryland woman and IRS impersonators conning crypto holders.
Americans over 60 tend to be the preferred prey for cyber fraud scams, with the FBI reporting (5) that the cohort lost $7.7 billion to scammers in 2025 — the most of any age group. The average reported loss was more than $38,000 and at least 12,400 victims reported losing $100,000 or more.
“Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite,” they said (6). “They also usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit — all of which make them attractive to scammers.”
The bureau added that government impersonation scams were among the five most popular targeting seniors, with the others including investments, tech or customer support, confidence or romance and business email compromise.
“Government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information,” the FTC said (1). “Only a scammer will do that.”
Still, scams can be convincing, so it’s important to know how to keep fraudsters at bay.
What to do if a scammer comes calling
The FBI says (6) that recognizing elder fraud scams as early as possible and terminating communication with them is key to keeping your money and personal information safe.
They say to take your time and resist the sense of urgency scammers try to create; always be cautious of any unsolicited messages via phone, email, mail or door knockers; never open email attachments from strangers or send them money or personal information.
They also suggest that loved ones choose a shared password to confirm each other’s identities, install up-to-date virus and malware protection on all devices, and immediately shut down your devices and go offline if strange pop-ups appear on your screens.
As caller IDs can be manipulated, the FTC advises (4) that, if you receive a call from a supposed government official, hang up, search the number for their agency independently and then call back the number you found to confirm whether the call was real.
Others suggest older Americans appoint a trusted loved one to help oversee their financial accounts on a regular basis and help keep an eye out for suspicious activity or transactions.
The FBI adds (6) that if you do believe you’ve been scammed, to collect information about the scam, the times and dates of the contact with the scammers, any funds you sent and where you sent them and collect all other details or physical documentation of the interactions to provide to authorities.
Scammers may be wily, but if you know the signs of fraud and how to act when you see it, you can stifle them before they get close to your cash.
Opt for added protection
One way to do this — as FBI recommends — is to install added protection on your devices.
Hazel’s $270,000 loss is a stark reminder that scammers don’t always need sophisticated hacking skills to get around your defenses. Sometimes, all it takes is a convincing story, a little pressure and enough personal information to make someone believe their money is at risk.
These types of scams can also look remarkably legitimate. Fraudsters can spoof phone numbers, use AI to create convincing messages and impersonate government agencies, banks or other institutions retirees already know and trust.
Their goal isn’t necessarily to steal your information outright — it may simply be to convince you to hand over the money yourself.
That makes protecting yourself about more than ignoring suspicious emails or refusing to answer unknown calls. It also means putting safeguards around your digital identity and financial information before a scammer can exploit them.
Platforms like Aura offer a way to manage device and identity protection in one place.
Aura’s AI-powered platform is designed to help protect your household from identity theft, phishing attempts, scams and malware across multiple connected devices. It can even alert you to potential fraud up to 650 times faster than traditional monitoring tools.
Aura also monitors spending activity for unusual transactions and can notify you when something looks out of the ordinary. If identity theft does occur, eligible users may qualify for up to $1 million in coverage for certain losses and related fees.
Getting started is quick and easy. Plus, you could save up to 68% if you sign up today — and Aura even offers a 60-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
– With files from Mike Crisolago.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Federal Trade Commission (1), (4); CBS Detroit (2), (3); FBI (5), (6)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.