What Happened
The Federal Trade Commission warned consumers about a new twist on government impersonation scams: fake FTC "agents" texting people and claiming they can recover money lost in a previous scam.
According to the FTC, the impersonator sends an unexpected message, claims to work for the agency, promises help recovering losses, and then texts a photo of an employee ID and badge to "verify" the story. The agency says the ID and badge are fake.
The FTC says real employees will not contact people by text message or WhatsApp, will not text a photo of an employee ID to prove who they are, and will not ask people to pay, move money into a specified account, or hand over financial information to recover scam losses.
Why This Matters
Recovery scams are especially nasty because they target people who have already been hit once. The pitch is built around relief: someone says they can undo the damage, then uses that hope to pry open the next wallet.
The official-looking photo ID is the whole trick. It gives the victim a prop to focus on instead of the obvious problem: federal consumer-protection staff do not need to slide into your messages like a refund wizard with a laminated badge.
The Dumb Part With The Cosplay Credentials
The dumb part is the theater. The scammer knows people are suspicious of random messages, so the solution is apparently to send a picture of a fake badge, which is just fraud wearing a lanyard.
If a stranger says they are from the FTC and can recover your money, that is already a red flag. If they send badge selfies like a nightclub bouncer for consumer refunds, the flag has caught fire.
The Bottom Line
The FTC says to report impersonators at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to act quickly if money or financial information has already been sent. The real stupid shit is scammers pretending to be the agency that tells people how not to get scammed.
Sources
FTC Consumer Advice: A real FTC employee won't text you their photo ID to verify their identity
FTC Consumer Advice: Refund and recovery scams