A 'bank rep' says your identity opened a gun-buying account — then 'FBI' calls from the real number
A fake bank rep says your identity was used to buy illegal firearms. The call drops; an 'FBI agent' immediately calls back from the FBI's real verified phone number and moves you to Signal. You end up at a Bitcoin ATM.
Also known as: FBI gun account scam, illegal firearms account impersonation, FBI number spoof encrypted app scam, bank-to-FBI two-phase impersonation, FBI Bitcoin ATM scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Hang up — caller ID showing a real government number means nothing; that number is trivially spoofed
- 2 Call your actual bank at the number on the back of your card to verify whether any account issue exists
- 3 The FBI does not call people cold about active investigations involving them, does not ask you to download apps, and does not direct citizens to Bitcoin ATMs or cash couriers
- 4 Never move money, visit a Bitcoin ATM, or withdraw cash at the direction of any unexpected caller, no matter what number shows on your caller ID
- 5 If you sent money, call your bank immediately and also file a report at ic3.gov — do not wait
- 6 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Your 'bank' calls first, saying your identity was used to open an account to purchase illegal firearms — this specific pretext is the scam's opening hook
- ⚠ The call drops, then you receive a return call showing the FBI's real phone number — caller ID can be spoofed to display any number, including verified government numbers
- ⚠ The 'agent' provides a convincing name, badge number, and case number about the firearms investigation
- ⚠ You are asked to switch to Signal, WhatsApp, or another encrypted messaging app to 'protect the investigation'
- ⚠ You are directed to a Bitcoin ATM or asked to withdraw cash as part of a 'parallel transaction' to secure your funds
- ⚠ The entire call urges secrecy — you are told not to tell your bank, family, or anyone else until the case is closed