The Federal Trade Commission is not calling anyone to deactivate a phone number. In a consumer alert published Oct. 22 and updated Oct. 27, the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection staff warned that callers claiming to be FTC officials are scammers, and that the script passes victims to a fake police officer and ends with a demand for a “security deposit.”
How does the phone-deactivation call work?
The caller says a phone was registered under the victim’s name and number and is being used for scams in another country. To sound official, the caller reads out a badge ID, which the FTC says is fake. If the person does not cooperate, the caller threatens to deactivate the phone number. In the FTC’s words: “Sounds scary? That’s (unfortunately) the point.”
The fake FTC official then connects the victim to someone posing as a police officer, supposedly to file a report. Nothing about the transfer is real. It exists to move the victim from a government name they may not recognize to one most people trust without a second thought.
Why does the fake police officer matter so much?
A person who hesitates may be told to call the police department directly, and the scammer tells them what to search online to find the number. When they call, the FTC says, people involved in the scam answer. A step that feels like checking becomes part of the trap.
That is the moment where anyone with a landline or a cell phone has to decide what a caller’s word is worth. Hanging up and dialing a number found on the agency’s own website or a bill is the move that breaks the script, as the FTC’s imposter scam guidance advises.
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How does it end in a “security deposit”?
Once the fake officer has the victim on the line, the scammers ask for ID and other personal information for the “report” and tell the victim to keep the matter secret. Later they claim the person is under arrest for scams tied to the phone number and must go to another country. To avoid that, the FTC says, they demand a “security deposit.” The alert does not say how much is demanded or how it is paid.
The FTC says none of it is true. A real FTC employee will never ask someone to send money, or connect them to someone who does. A real employee will not threaten to disconnect a phone, will not tell anyone to keep a conversation secret, and will not text a photo of an employee ID to prove who they are.
Are fake officers working this way in other places?
Impersonating police is a common thread in these scams. In Oregon, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney Nathan Vasquez warned residents of a caller posing as a “Lieutenant White,” who told a victim he had missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid arrest, according to KPTV in Portland. A 79-year-old man lost $40,000 in two $20,000 withdrawals deposited into a bitcoin machine at a convenience store.
The caller told that victim not to discuss the situation further, the same secrecy the FTC flags. The sheriff’s office says officers never demand payment over the phone to resolve a warrant or avoid an arrest.
What should someone do if the call comes?
The FTC’s guidance for imposter scams is to never send money, cryptocurrency or gold to someone after an unexpected call, and to ignore anyone pressing to move money quickly to “protect” it. The agency’s line on that is blunt: “Anyone who tells you that is a scammer.” Talking to someone trusted before acting helps, especially when a caller says the matter involves a crime.
Anyone who gets the call can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, which is the only reporting route the alert lists. Someone who already paid or shared personal information should follow the FTC’s guidance on what to do if scammed.
What if the next caller already has your name and ID number?
The deactivation script asks for ID and personal details for a “report.” Anyone who gives them up, even once, leaves a thief with what is needed to open a new account in their name or get into one they already have.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
