The Short Answer
If someone calls claiming to be the DEA, customs, or federal agents and says a package containing drugs, cash, or contraband was intercepted in your name, that your identity is tied to a crime, and that you must verify details or move your money to keep it safe, it is a scam. Real federal agencies do not call to warn you about an investigation, do not ask you to move money, and do not resolve criminal matters over the phone. ScamVerify™ tracks the broader government-impersonation pattern these calls belong to: 369,525 complaints in our FTC and FCC data, including 64,164 in the last 90 days. The caller is running a script designed to scare you. You can hang up.
What the Call Sounds Like
The call is built to put you in a state of fear and keep you there. An official-sounding agent gives a name and badge number, then tells a story like:
- A package with drugs, cash, or contraband was intercepted at the border or a facility, addressed to you.
- Your name, Social Security number, or bank account turned up in a drug-trafficking or money-laundering case.
- A warrant is being prepared, but you can clear your name today by cooperating.
- Stay on the line, do not hang up, and do not tell anyone, because the "investigation" is confidential.
They may transfer you to a fake "supervisor," cite real-sounding case numbers, and reference an actual agency to make it feel legitimate. None of it is real.
Why Would the DEA Call You About a Package?
This question cuts straight through the scam. Federal investigators do not phone the target of an investigation to give them a heads-up and a chance to "clear their name." If a package were genuinely linked to you, agents would not call to negotiate, warn, or collect money. The entire premise, that a federal agent is on the phone offering you a way out, is the tell. It does not happen.
The "Protect Your Assets" Twist
Here is the move that makes this scam so costly, and the clearest sign it is fake. After the fear is set, the "agent" says your bank accounts are compromised or about to be seized, and that to protect your money you must move it to a "safe" government account, convert it to cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards while they stay on the line. No real agency will ever tell you to move your money to keep it safe. That instruction, in any form, is always a scam. The goal is to get your savings into a channel they control before you have time to think.
Why the Call Looks Real
People who get caught often say the caller ID showed a real federal or local number. Scammers use caller ID spoofing to display any number they choose. The number on your screen proves nothing. In our data, government-impersonation calls cluster in a few area codes right now, led by 315, 202, 502, 918, and 706, but a spoofed call can show any prefix, including your own.
| Red flag | Why it signals a scam |
|---|---|
| Says a package or crime is linked to your name | Investigators do not call targets to warn them |
| Tells you to move money to a "safe account" | No agency ever asks you to move your money; always a scam |
| Wants gift cards, wire, crypto, or cash | No agency collects money this way; it is untraceable |
| Caller ID shows a real federal or police number | Spoofing fakes any number; the display proves nothing |
| Demands secrecy and that you stay on the line | Isolation stops you from verifying or getting help |
Got a call like this?
Tell Ava what happened. She checks it against millions of FTC and FCC complaints and real-time carrier data, then tells you exactly what you are dealing with.
What Real Federal Agencies Actually Do
- They do not call the people they are investigating. No agent phones ahead to offer a deal.
- They never ask you to move, wire, or convert your money. Asset matters go through courts, never a phone call.
- They do not collect money by phone. There is no fee or bond you pay over the line.
- You can always verify. Hang up, look up the agency on its official .gov site, and call its published number yourself if you have any doubt.
What to Do in the Next 10 Minutes
- Hang up. You owe the caller nothing, and ending the call costs you nothing. Do not press keys or stay on the line.
- Do not move money or share anything. No transfers, no Social Security number, no bank details, no codes from your phone.
- Verify independently if you are unsure. Look up the agency on its official .gov site and call its published number, never a number a caller gives you.
- Let Ava check it. Describe the call to Ava, or paste the number the caller used. She checks it against the same complaint and carrier data we track, tells you whether it is a known government-impersonation line, and walks you through your next step.
- Report it. File at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
This same playbook shows up as a fake police officer or immigration agent. See our guides to the police arrest scam and the immigration deportation scam, and the full government impersonation breakdown.
I Already Moved Money or Gave Information. Now What?
You are not the problem here, and acting fast still helps. If you wired money or used a payment app, call your bank immediately and ask them to attempt a reversal. If you paid by gift card, call the card company and report it as used in a scam, since funds are sometimes recoverable if you move quickly. If you moved money to a "safe account" or sent crypto, contact your bank and report it at IC3.gov. If you shared your Social Security number or bank details, place a free fraud alert with the credit bureaus and start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. Then describe exactly what happened to Ava, and she will tell you the specific next steps for your situation.
