The 82 scam patterns Shield answers so your residents don't have to.

Caller claims to be SSA, says Eleanor's SSN is suspended over "suspicious activity" or that she must "verify" bank info for her 2026 COLA adjustment.

Distinct from the COLA variant: pure arrest-threat pattern. Caller claims the SSA or SSA Office of Inspector General has "suspended," "frozen," or "flagged" the SSN over fabricated border crime / drug trafficking / money laundering, then demands SSN+DOB verification or payment via gift cards / wire / "federal holding account" to reactivate. Real SSA has no authority to suspend SSNs — they're permanent — and never accepts gift-card payment.

Distinct from bec-ceo-voice-spoof (corporate wire) and fake-fbi-investigation (criminal threat). Scammer uses AI voice-cloning of a real US senator, governor, cabinet member, or mayor — only a few seconds of public-speech audio needed — to cold-call a constituent asking for a "discreet favor," "quiet donation," gift-card purchase, or brief "hold" of funds. Urgency ("ninety seconds before I'm called in") and secrecy ("don't mention this to staff or press") are the hallmarks. Real officials never cold-call private citizens for personal favors; constituent outreach is via letter, town hall, or verified DC/state-office line.

Distinct from medicare-enrollment (Open Enrollment) and medicare-advantage-boiler (plan-switching). Pattern: caller impersonates a Medicare-contracted Durable Medical Equipment supplier offering a "free" back brace, knee brace, orthopedic shoes, CPAP, diabetic supplies, or urinary catheters "pre-approved at no cost." Real goal: harvest the Medicare number + DOB so Medicare is billed repeatedly at 10-40x markup for unnecessary / undelivered equipment. HHS-OIG flagged catheter-scam rings in 2024-2025 alone as a $2.7B fraud operation. Medicare never cold-calls offering equipment.

Peaks Oct 15 – Dec 7 each year. Fake "Medicare CMS Compliance" / "card services" / "benefits enrollment" calls extract Medicare Number, SSN, DOB, or push boiler-room Medicare Advantage sign-ups.

Year-round companion to the Open Enrollment spike. Aggressive broker cold-calls dangle "free groceries," "$148 Part-B giveback," "$300 flex card," or "free car to your doctor" to force same-day plan-switching — banned by CMS's 2024 marketing rule. Real brokers must share an NPN + Scope of Appointment form before discussing specifics.

Inverse of the IRS-arrest scam: promises free money ("$847 unclaimed refund") to extract SSN, DOB, routing number, or a fake "processing fee."

Devious twist vs IRS-arrest: casts the victim as a VICTIM of identity theft, not the suspect, building we're-on-the-same-team rapport. Scammer claims her SSN is being used by criminals in [Mexico / Texas / NYC], pushes move-to-safe-account, gold-to-courier, or DocuSign-affidavit extractions. Isolation ("don't tell family or bank, classified investigation") is always the tell.

Distinct from irs-refund-phone (impersonates IRS) and irs-arrest-warrant (threat): this impersonates the taxpayer's ACTUAL preparer — H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, TurboTax, Liberty Tax — and claims a "direct-deposit routing error" needs to be fixed today. Extracts SSN + bank routing + account (then files fraudulent returns in the victim's name for future years) or charges a fake "expedite fee." Real preparers never cold-call about routing errors; the IRS bounces bad routing back automatically.

The iconic "you owe back taxes, federal deputies being dispatched unless you pay today" playbook — still #1 reported phone scam despite decades of warnings. Pays via gift cards / prepaid debit / wire / crypto. Distinct from the newer "unclaimed refund" variant: this one uses arrest threats, the other uses free-money bait. Both are IRS impersonation.

Fake sheriff / US Marshal / court officer says Eleanor missed jury duty and a bench warrant is active. Demands gift cards, prepaid debit, Zelle, or crypto to "clear" the warrant — keeps her on the line until payment clears.

Targets disaster victims specifically (not the public like fake-charity, not repairs like storm-chaser). Hooks: "I can expedite your FEMA claim for $X fee," "I'm a FEMA inspector, confirm your SSN + banking," or "you've been approved for $X — pay processing / IRS tax prepayment to release the funds." FEMA never charges for disaster assistance at any step; real inspectors show photo ID, never collect SSN or money by phone; applications are free at disasterassistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

Exploits post-Affordable-Connectivity-Program confusion after millions lost their $30/mo broadband credit. Cold-callers pitch "FCC rebate," "Lifeline upgrade," "ACP successor benefit," or "$200 internet credit" — then demand card info for "eligibility verification," SSN for "enrollment," or a small processing fee. FCC does NOT cold-call consumers about rebates; no "ACP successor" phone program exists; real Lifeline is applied for directly at lifelinesupport.org.

"You've been awarded a $7,500 / $9,000 / $15,000 federal senior grant — no payback." Sources are fake: "Government Grants Department," "Senior Grant Program." Extraction via up-front processing fee in gift cards / Zelle / prepaid debit, or SSN + bank routing "for direct deposit." Real federal grants go exclusively through grants.gov with applicant-initiated applications; no legit grant program cold-calls or charges fees.

Fake "subsidy recertification," "zero-premium qualification," or "marketplace enrollment center" calls extract SSN + DOB + household income — the full identity-theft payload. Some variants bait-and-switch into non-ACA-compliant "short-term" or "limited-duration" plans sold as if they were marketplace coverage. Healthcare.gov never cold-calls.

Targets US veterans + families with "pay $1,500-$5,000 to expedite your VA disability / aid-and-attendance / GI-Bill claim." Variants: pure fee-extraction; pension poaching (surrender future Aid & Attendance for a lump-sum annuity, losing $50K-$200K over lifetime); DD-214 + SSN + service-date identity theft. VA accreditation rule: only VA-accredited reps can charge fees, only on retroactive benefits, with a filed fee agreement — never up-front, never on future monthly benefits.

Targets Spanish-speaking immigrants who in many Latin American countries know "notario público" as a high-credential LEGAL professional similar to an attorney. In the US, "notary public" is JUST a signature witness — they CANNOT give legal advice or file immigration paperwork. Scammers exploit the confusion: charge $1,500-$15,000 to "file" green-card / DACA / asylum / citizenship papers, then disappear, file the wrong forms (often triggering deportation), or use the family info for ID theft. Only US-licensed attorneys + BIA-accredited reps can legally help.

Try any caller type — legit family, fake police warrants, Medicare card verification, Dr. Park's office — and see Shield triage in real time.

Cold-calls elder homeowners with "federal reverse-mortgage program" promising tax-free cash from home equity. Variants: fake government program, predatory loan with inflated fees, up-front "application fee," or worst case — DocuSign deed-transfer disguised as "application" (actual title theft). Real HECM / FHA reverse mortgages require mandatory HUD-approved counseling BEFORE any application; no legit lender skips this, and no agency cold-calls.

Distinct from reverse-mortgage (HECM-specific): targets homeowners with missed payments or foreclosure filings on public record. Pitch: "guaranteed modification," "forensic loan audit," "foreclosure rescue," or "HELOC activation with no credit check" — collect $2-5K upfront as "audit fee" / "retainer" / "activation fee" then do nothing. Sometimes filing useless docs that worsen the case, or worst: a "deed-in-lieu" that transfers title. CFPB MARS Rule makes ALL up-front fees illegal before a servicer-delivered offer is accepted.

Cold-call pitches "Medicaid crisis planning" / "nursing-home asset protection" / "irrevocable trust to shelter your savings" with $5,000-$10,000 upfront retainer. The callers often aren't attorneys (drafting trusts is unauthorized practice of law in every state), and poorly structured trusts VIOLATE Medicaid's 5-year lookback — disqualifying the applicant and making things catastrophically worse. Real elder-law planning requires a bar-licensed attorney with a written engagement letter and post-scope billing.

Exploits parent fear: "We detected your child's SSN on the dark web — activate our protective monitoring now." Variants: $20-$40/mo recurring subscription on parent's card, full-family SSN/DOB/school/bank phish, remote-desktop install. All real child-identity mitigation is FREE: identitytheft.gov/kids + free credit freezes for minors at all 3 bureaus.

"You've been selected for a free Life Alert pendant — a friend already ordered it, just your card for the $9.95 shipping." The intro fee enrolls the victim in $30-$60/month recurring charges on a card the scammer now has. Classic negative-option billing — illegal under FTC's ROSCA Act. Real medical-alert brands (Life Alert, Medical Guardian, Bay Alarm, Philips Lifeline, LifeFone) charge $25-$60/mo disclosed up front, never free-with-shipping.

Targets people who recently filed an auto / homeowner / health claim (list scraped from a leaky data broker or hacked carrier DB — the call feels contextual, which IS the hook). Two plays: (a) phish full SSN + DOB + policy number + bank routing as "claim verification"; (b) demand a "claim-adjustment / processing / prior-condition fee" ($200–$500) to release the payout. No US carrier charges those fees — they don't exist.

Hybrid phone-physical: caller convinces victim their bank / SSN / computer is compromised, then directs them to withdraw cash and deposit it into a real Bitcoin / CoinFlip / Bitcoin Depot / RockItCoin kiosk at a "secure federal wallet" (scammer's). Common pretexts: "Federal Reserve secure vault," "grand-jury protected holding." Bank tellers are trained to intervene on large cash withdrawals — scammers coach victims to lie to the teller ("it's for home repairs"), which is itself the scam's core tell.

Devious variant: scammer actually sends you real P2P money from a compromised account, then phones as "Zelle security" saying "someone sent you money by mistake, please Zelle it back." Victim sends equivalent from their own account to the scammer's "recovery account." Days later, the original deposit is clawed back — victim loses both. Real P2P platforms never call about misdirected payments.

Opens with "fraud team — did you authorize $847 at Best Buy?" Victim says no, caller "helps reverse it," then asks for the code the bank just texted. That code isn't a verify code — it's the bank's 2FA authorizing a transfer OUT of the victim's account. The relief at "the bank caught the fraud" is what sells it. Distinct from bank-safe-account: that pattern moves funds, this one extracts codes.

Mechanically distinct from the B2B sim-swap demo: targets the consumer directly. Scammer calls posing as "your carrier's fraud team," claims an active port-out to Cricket / Xfinity Mobile / Visible is in flight, offers to block it if the victim confirms the account PIN, port-out PIN, or an SMS code. Once the victim reads it back, the scammer uses those credentials to ACTUALLY complete the port — taking the number and every SMS-2FA-secured account (bank, email, crypto). Real carriers use in-app authentication for port protection; they never verify PINs by inbound voice.

Distinct from vendor-invoice-redirect (AP-team target) and BEC (finance-officer target): targets INDIVIDUAL HOMEBUYERS mid-escrow at their largest-ever purchase. Scammer compromises the title agency / realtor email or just impersonates them, then phones the buyer with "updated wire instructions" / "bank changed" / "corrected routing" before closing. Victim wires $50K-$500K+ to the scammer; money is gone within minutes via onward transfers. Real title agencies NEVER change wire instructions last-minute; the instructions on signed closing documents are final.

Targets elder homeowners (usually 65+) with the scary idea that "title thieves" can forge a deed and steal their home. Pitches "title monitoring" / "deed protection" / "home title lock" subscription at $150-$500/year. Reality: actual deed-theft cases are rare and recoverable (forged deeds fail in court); title insurance already in place from closing covers the rare real case; most counties offer FREE property-fraud alerts on the county recorder's website. FTC 2024 advisory: these services are widely criticized for selling fear with minimal actual protection value.

Claims unauthorized wires are pending on her bank or Zelle; demands she move funds to a "protected" account (the scammer's). Escalates to fake FBI.

Claims a big-ticket MacBook / iPhone / gold bar was just ordered on Eleanor's Amazon account; "helpful cancel flow" harvests card data.

Impersonates Coinbase / Kraken / Gemini / Ledger / MetaMask fraud team. Extracts seed phrase, 2FA codes, or "transfer to secure wallet." Crypto transfers are irreversible within minutes.

Unique framing — you play the scammer calling the wireless carrier, trying to port Eleanor's number to your SIM. 2FA codes follow.

Classic: "we've detected a virus on your computer, install TeamViewer so we can fix it." Remote-access leads to bank drain; often pivots to fake-FBI.

Unique mechanic: fake invoice email claims a $399-$499 auto-renewal; victim calls the number IN the email. Scammer "processes refund" but "accidentally" types $3,999 (actually manipulating the victim's bank balance via AnyDesk remote access), cries for their job, demands victim return the "overpayment" via Apple / Target / Amazon gift cards. No refund ever occurred. Real refunds reverse through the original payment method, never gift cards.

"Your Apple ID was used for a $999 MacBook purchase / accessed from Russia / will be suspended." Extracts Apple ID + password + verification codes, or pushes AnyDesk install, or demands Apple gift cards as "refund." Apple never cold-calls — every contact must be initiated by the user at support.apple.com.

Caller claims to be the company CEO / CFO / managing partner, presses the receptionist or AP clerk to wire funds for a "confidential acquisition" / urgent vendor payment / "wire before markets close," insists secrecy ("don't loop in legal"). Voice often AI-cloned from scraped Zoom / earnings-call / podcast audio — hearing the boss is not verification in 2026. Urgency + secrecy + novelty-payee = every BEC call.

Harder to catch than CEO-spoof: caller poses as an EXISTING vendor the company already pays (cleaning, IT, law firm, SaaS), says "we switched banks — update our ACH for the next invoice." Real payment then routes to scammer's account. Scammer scraped the vendor relationship from LinkedIn, filings, or a phished email. Knowing names + amounts isn't authentication.

Targets rank-and-file employees (not finance like BEC, not AP like vendor-redirect): scammer impersonates "HR," "Payroll support," "Workday migration team," or "benefits admin" and asks the employee to confirm their routing + account number by phone for a supposed system change. The scammer then files a direct-deposit change on the employer's real payroll system, diverting the next paycheck to their account. Real HR/payroll changes go through the authenticated HRIS portal (Workday, ADP, Paychex, Paycom, UKG, Rippling) — never a cold voice call.

Directly targets small-business owners — the buyer persona for Voipy itself. Cold-caller claims to represent "Google," "Google My Business," or "Google Listings Support" and says the Business Profile is expiring / suspended / needs re-indexing, demanding $39-$199 by card. Google's explicit public advisory: Google does NOT cold-call businesses about listings, and Business Profile is 100% free with zero paid tiers. Scammer bulk-scrapes business names from Google Maps / Yelp / directories to fake personalization.

"Remote product reviewer for Amazon / TikTok / Temu / Shopify — $200 a day" with a catch: every new tier demands an "unlock fee," "VIP upgrade," or "tax prepayment" to withdraw earnings. Starts on WhatsApp/Telegram, pivots to phone for "HR onboarding." Real employers never charge workers to start. These roles don't exist at any major retailer.

LinkedIn + Apollo + ZoomInfo scraping lets the scammer know your title, skills, current company. Caller claims to be Google / Microsoft / NVIDIA / OpenAI recruiting, then extracts GitHub credentials, SSN + DOB + bank routing for "expedited onboarding," or pushes a "recruiting app" download that's actually malware. Real recruiters never request credentials or do HR onboarding pre-offer.

Targets households with high-school or college-age students: "Your student has been awarded a $2,500-$10,000 scholarship — just pay a $99-$499 processing / disbursement / advisor fee to release funds." Variants include "guaranteed scholarship" services, paid FAFSA completion (FAFSA is FREE at fafsa.gov), and SSN + bank-routing phish for "direct deposit." Real scholarships are 100% free to applicants; any up-front fee is definitive fraud.

Distinct from job-task-scam (no upfront fee): "$2,500/week to receive packages at your home, relabel them, ship onward." The packages contain stolen / fraud-bought / smuggled goods; the worker becomes an unwitting MULE — exposed to wire-fraud / mail-fraud criminal liability — and the promised paycheck never arrives (scammer vanishes 3-4 weeks in). USPIS prosecutes participants annually.

Pretext: "$400/assignment mystery-shopper program — we'll mail you a $2,500 check, deposit it, use $2,100 to evaluate a Western Union / MoneyGram / gift-card purchase at a specific store." Check is counterfeit; bounces 5-30 days after victim wires real money. Distinct from fake-check-overpayment (sellers) — this uses HIRING as the pretext. Legit firms: MSPA-registered, pay $6-$15 after the shop, never pre-pay.

Caller impersonates Uber / Lyft / DoorDash / Instacart / Amazon Flex support: "suspicious rider complaint, your account is being deactivated in 30 min." Extracts one-time 2FA code (account takeover), pushes a fake "verification ride," or redirects payout banking to the scammer. Real platforms only contact drivers in-app — never by cold phone, never ask for codes/passwords/bank info.

The phone follow-up after an online "breeder" deposit. Pretexts escalate: climate-controlled crate rental, flight insurance, USDA health certificate, airline cargo fee, customs clearance, microchip registration. Each fee "refundable on arrival." The puppy doesn't exist — the scam is 100% in the new fees charged after the first deposit.

Targets freelancers + sellers on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, freelance platforms. Scammer sends a real-looking check for MORE than the agreed amount, then calls to ask the "overpayment" be refunded via Zelle / wire / gift cards to a "mover," "forwarder," or "assistant." The check is counterfeit; by the time the bank claws it back (5–30 days later), the victim has already wired real money out. "Available" ≠ "cleared."

Listing photos cloned from real Zillow/Redfin units; fake "owner" (deployed overseas, missionary work, inherited property) refuses in-person tour and demands deposit + first month via Zelle / Venmo / MoneyGram / wire before shipping keys. Listing usually priced 20–30% below market — the cheap price is the hook. Real landlords require in-person tour + signed lease + check or regulated platform.

"Con Edison / PG&E / DTE: pay $94 in thirty minutes or we cut off your power." Demands retailer barcode, gift card, wire, or Zelle.

USPS / UPS / FedEx / Amazon Logistics claim a package is held; small $3–$24 "redelivery / customs / handling" fee hooks credit card entry.

The inverse of utility-shutoff: instead of threatening disconnection, caller promises a refund / overbilling credit / smart-thermostat rebate / pandemic-era credit to extract bank routing + account + SSN (to drain the account) or charge a "processing fee" in gift cards / Zelle. Real utilities credit overbillings to the next bill automatically, never by phone.

Distinct from utility-shutoff (existing customer, fake past-due) and utility-rebate (existing customer, fake refund): targets people who recently moved or are about to move. Caller impersonates the local utility (ConEd, PG&E, Dominion, Duke Energy, ComEd) and demands an immediate $250-$500 "activation deposit" payable by Zelle / prepaid card / wire before power / gas / water is turned on. Real utilities disclose any required deposit during account-open and bill it to the first monthly statement — never collect by cold call.

Distinct from the other 3 utility scams (shutoff, rebate, new-service-deposit): targets residents of deregulated retail-electricity/gas markets. Cold-caller pitches "lower rate," "PG&E rebate program," or "utility alignment" and asks the victim to "confirm" their utility account number — which is all a slammer needs to silently switch the supplier. The "new" supplier's teaser rate expires to 2x-3x default within 1-2 months plus cancellation fees. The incumbent utility (ConEd, PSE&G, Oncor, AEP, etc.) does NOT telemarket switches; real opt-in happens on the state comparison site (powertochoose.org, apples-to-apples.oh.gov, plug.in.ny.gov).

Post-IRA scam: "you qualify for FREE solar through the new federal rebate program." Extracts SSN + bank routing for "rebate enrollment," charges $300-$800 "site-survey fee," or pushes DocuSign "enrollment" that's actually a 20-year lease. Fact: the IRA solar credit is a 30% TAX credit claimed on Form 5695 AFTER paying for + installing a real system — it's not free solar, and it's not distributed by phone.

Cold-calls homeowners from recent insurance-claim lists after hail / tornado / wildfire. Offers "free inspection" + "we'll bill your insurance directly, you pay nothing." The real play: an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) form redirecting your insurance payout to them, or an oversized same-day "materials deposit" that disappears with the contractor. Real contractors don't cold-call, always share their state license + bond + written estimate.

Rogue broker wins the job with a low phone quote (no in-home / video survey), shows up with an unmarked truck, loads everything, then demands 2x-5x the quoted price in cash before unloading — holding belongings hostage. Red flags: binding estimate without inventory, cash/Zelle deposit to "hold the date," no USDOT / MC number, unmarked rental truck. Legit interstate movers must provide a written estimate after a physical or video survey and release the shipment at ≤110% of a non-binding estimate per federal rules.

Scammers scrape flight-delay data (or guess by season) and cold-call spoofing Delta / United / American / Southwest: "your flight was cancelled, confirm your card + CVV so we can process the refund." Variants: fake "fare difference" for rebooking, fake "travel protection" upsell, fake "expedite fee" to skip the refund queue. DOT rules require automatic refunds to the original payment method — no card data needed to receive one. Any cold call asking for card, wire, Zelle, or gift-card to release a refund is fraud.

Iconic robocall-to-live-agent scam: "this is your final notice before your vehicle warranty expires." The live agent pushes a Vehicle Service Contract you never asked about, pressures same-day payment, and fishes for VIN/mileage to look legit. Real dealers/manufacturers only mail warranty notices; legit VSCs send a written contract before any payment.

Distinct from auto-warranty (vehicles): impersonates legitimate home-warranty brands (American Home Shield, Choice Home Warranty, First American, 2-10, Liberty Home Guard) with "final expiration notice" pressure. Scammers scrape county recorder-of-deeds data for recent home-sale dates + addresses to fake personalization, then demand same-call card charges for 3-5 year contracts at $69-$99/month. Real providers notify via mail + email from registered domains and let customers shop and compare before signing.

Usually starts as a text ("$6.99 unpaid toll, pay within 24 hours"), then escalates to a live phone callback from "E-ZPass customer service" / "SunPass" / "FasTrak" / "TxTag" pressuring the victim to read card + CVV. Real toll authorities never cold-call — they send certified-mail notices and escalate via DMV registration holds over 30-90 days. The "$100 fine in 24 hours" urgency is fake. Real toll balances accumulate on the vehicle's registration and never require phone-pressured card reads.

AI voice cloning needs just 3 seconds of audio from TikTok / Instagram / Facebook. Cloned "grandchild" sobs about being arrested, begs for bail — wire, gift cards, or cash. Fastest-growing AI-enabled fraud.

The classic romance-fraud variant without any crypto pivot — pure emotional extortion. Scammer poses as deployed soldier / oil-rig engineer / doctor abroad / stranded fiancé, asks for specific dollar amounts for "customs fee / flight / hospital / bail / lawyer" via MoneyGram / Western Union / wire / gift cards. The persona refuses every video-call attempt — that refusal IS the tell. Eleanor has never met them in person. Full stop.

The hardest to catch — warm, patient, non-urgent. Caller claims a prior online relationship Eleanor hasn't mentioned, eventually pivots to a crypto trading group.

Publishers Clearing House / Mega Millions / Medicare cruise — collects a "processing fee" (gift cards) to release the nonexistent prize.

Caller claims they've kidnapped a family member with screaming / crying in the background (often AI-cloned from 3 seconds of social-media audio), demands immediate wire / gift-card / crypto / prepaid-debit ransom, insists the listener stay on the line so they cannot independently verify. 99%+ are fake — the "victim" is safe and unaware the call is happening.

Caller claims device compromise / stolen data / browser-history capture / webcam recording and demands bitcoin / gift-card / wire payment ($500-$5K) or they'll "release" material to the victim's family, employer, or public. Nearly 100% are bluffs — scammers bulk-dial from leaked-password lists and watch who panics. FBI IC3 explicit guidance: NEVER pay; paying does not delete material the scammer rarely has and identifies you as a paying target. Report at ic3.gov + local police.

Scammers read obituaries / Legacy.com / funeral-home sites, then call bereaved families claiming the deceased owed an outstanding cable / medical / credit-card / payday-loan debt that must be "settled before probate / collections." In US law, debts are NOT inherited — spouses/children are rarely personally liable; the estate handles valid creditor claims through probate court with a statutory written-claim window.

Distinct from bereavement-debt (post-death): cold-calls elderly BEFORE a death pitching "pre-need funeral plan" pressure sales — "lock in today's prices before inflation," "spare your family." Upsells $5K-$15K plans or $89/mo funeral "insurance" policies with 12-24 month waiting periods, non-transferability, and single-funeral-home lock-in. Funeral directors don't telemarket; FTC Funeral Rule requires itemized General Price List review in person, not by phone.

Cold call from "Republican Fighter Fund" / "Democratic Victory Coalition" / "America First Patriots PAC" / "Protect Our Democracy" — anonymous shell SuperPACs that keep 80-95% as overhead and almost nothing reaches actual campaigns. Variants: fake 5x match-bonus urgency, recurring monthly enrollment via single phone consent (FTC ROSCA violation), CVV phish disguised as donation.

Red Cross / Salvation Army / St. Jude / "Wounded Veterans Fund" impersonators riding whichever hurricane, wildfire, or tornado is in the news. Pressure for gift cards / Zelle / crypto / prepaid debit under "the trucks leave in one hour" urgency. Real charities never demand these rails; real charities share their EIN for IRS / charitynavigator verification on request.

Distinct from fake-charity-disaster (which rides a named disaster): this runs year-round as "Fraternal Order of Police," "IAFF Widows Fund," "State Troopers Benevolent Association," "Sheriff's Protective." Most are PACs / 501(c)(6)s (NOT tax-deductible despite implication) with commercial telemarketers pocketing 70-90% of each donation; CharityWatch consistently ranks them among America's worst. FTC + multistate enforcement: Cancer Fund of America, Kids Wish Network, IUPA, Breast Cancer Relief Foundation — all same playbook.

"Acme Recovery / Law Offices of Johnson": threats of arrest, wage garnishment, same-day sheriff unless paid via Zelle / gift card / prepaid card. All illegal under FDCPA.

Boiler-room "broker" cold-pitching guaranteed-return bonds, pre-IPO shares, oil & gas partnerships, "closes today" urgency.

Distinct from stock pump-and-dump (investment-cold-call) and crypto scams: cold-call pitches to roll a 401(k)/IRA into a "self-directed precious-metals IRA" holding gold/silver coins. The real play is hidden 18-33% markups over spot on "proof" / "exclusive mint" / "collectible" coins + multi-year storage fees + illiquid resale (lose 30%+ selling back). Recent enforcement: Regal Assets, Red Rock Secured, Oxford Gold, Lear Capital, Augusta Precious Metals. Real metal exposure uses low-cost ETFs (GLD / IAU / SLV) in a standard IRA.

Distinct from all prior crypto scenarios (romance-crypto, crypto-atm, crypto-recovery, investment-cold-call, gold-silver-ira): "AI trading bot" / "quantum algorithm" / "neural-net hedge fund" pitch promising guaranteed 3-10% DAILY returns (mathematically impossible; compounds to 1000x+ annualized). Victim deposits to a fake "trading dashboard" showing fabricated gains, then hits a "withdrawal fee" / "tax release" / "VIP upgrade" paywall when trying to extract earnings. AI buzzword does all the credibility work; no registered fund, no audited track record, no SEC RIA oversight.

Fake "Federal Student Aid relief" or "Biden borrower-defense" callers claim full loan forgiveness, then charge $500–$1,500 up-front "processing / documentation" fee via Zelle, prepaid debit, or gift cards. Some phish the FSA ID login; worst variants get borrowers to redirect payments away from their real servicer.

Distinct from debt-consolidation: promises to REMOVE negative items from your credit report (raise your FICO by 100 points, wipe collections / charge-offs) in exchange for up-front fee ($300-$2,000). Violates FTC's Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) two ways: banned up-front fees + banned score guarantees. Accurate negative info can't be removed by anyone; consumers can dispute inaccurate items for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Distinct from fake-debt-collection: caller promises to CONSOLIDATE or SETTLE your REAL credit-card / medical debt for an up-front "enrollment fee" ($500-$3,000 by ACH / Zelle). Then tells you to stop paying creditors while they "negotiate." They never contact creditors; credit craters. FTC's 2010 Telemarketing Sales Rule explicitly bans up-front fees before any debt is settled.

Distinct from IRS impersonators (irs-refund-phone, irs-arrest-warrant) and tax-preparer-redirect (refund direct-deposit fraud). Private firm cold-calls claiming the IRS "referred your file," promises to settle back taxes for pennies on the dollar under the real IRS Fresh Start / Offer-in-Compromise program, and collects $3,500-$10,000 upfront by wire, Zelle, or card. Does little or nothing; interest + penalties keep accruing while the firm sits on the paperwork. IRS does NOT refer taxpayers to private firms — ever. Real OIC filing fee is $205, not thousands.

Distinct from timeshare-resale (which claims to have a buyer): this promises to CANCEL or DEED-BACK the timeshare for $3.5K-$15K "legal retainer" / "cancellation processing." Scammer either disappears, files destructive paperwork, or worst: instructs owner to STOP paying maintenance fees — which triggers foreclosure + credit crater. Real exits go through resort's own deedback program (FREE at Wyndham, Marriott Vacations, Hilton, Diamond, Bluegreen) or post-close attorney fees.

Targets existing timeshare owners who've tried to sell. "Qualified buyer from Dubai ready to pay $28K — just wire the $3,200 closing-cost escrow by Friday." The buyer never materializes; the up-front fees are the entire scam. Real resale brokers charge success commission at close, NEVER up-front. Secondary market values are near zero; any caller naming a specific buyer is fishing.

The cruelest pattern: scammers buy prior-victim lists on the dark web, then call as "FBI Asset Recovery", "blockchain recovery firm", or class-action attorney, claiming they can claw back lost crypto for an up-front "tracing fee" / "release tax" / "retainer." The blockchain is one-way — no third party can reverse a sent crypto transaction. Average second-hit loss: $9,400.