If you’ve already been scammed out of your crypto, congratulations: you’re now a prime target for a second scam. This time, the person on the other end of the line claims to be from the government, and they say they can get your money back. They can’t.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a consumer warning on May 14, 2025, flagging a surge in government imposter scams where fraudsters pose as staff from the CFTC’s Office of Inspector General. The grift is straightforward and cruel: contact someone who already lost money in an investment fraud, usually involving digital assets, then promise to recover their funds in exchange for upfront fees paid in crypto.
The scale of the problem
Government imposter scams aren’t a niche concern. According to FTC data, these schemes generated over one million complaints in 2025 and caused $3.5 billion in losses. That’s a 20% jump from 2024.
The FTC has tracked government impersonation as its top fraud category for nine consecutive years. Complaints have nearly doubled on a year-over-year basis.
