SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California is warning the public about spoofed phone calls that according to Caller ID originate from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and appears to display the Office’s number. The scammers pose as the Department of Justice investigators, using fake names and case numbers to demand money for supposed attorney fees. In some cases, they reference personal details taken from public records or social media to sound credible.
These are government impersonation scams, in which criminals pretend to be government officials and often threaten physical or financial harm. They are increasingly sophisticated and frequently target both younger and older victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never request money or personal information by phone.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 32,424 people reported government impersonation scams in 2025, with losses of about $797 million.
To protect yourself, avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, never send money to people you don’t know, and never share personal or financial information over the phone. Suspected scams should be reported at www.ic3.gov. More information on government impersonation and other fraud schemes is available at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Eastern District of California — U.S. Department of Justice press release.