A caller says the FTC will deactivate your phone number

The problem

The FTC published a consumer alert on 22 October 2026 about a call that is being reported now. The caller says they are an FTC official, and that a phone registered in your name is being used for scams in another country. To make this sound real, they read out a badge ID. They say your phone number will be deactivated unless you cooperate.

The FTC says the badge ID is fake. The agency also says it will never threaten to disconnect your phone.

How it can happen

According to the alert, the call does not stop with the first caller. You are transferred to a supposed police officer, so that you can file a report. If you hesitate, you may be told to look up a police number online and call it yourself. The FTC warns that scammers answer those calls, so even a number you found on your own is not safe in that moment.

The next steps, in the FTC's description, are requests for your ID and personal information, and instructions to keep the conversation secret. Later, you are told that you are under arrest and must go to another country unless you send a security deposit.

This builds on a pattern the FTC reported earlier. In May 2025 it warned that scammers pose as tech support, Amazon or a bank, then transfer you to a supposed "FTC agent" who sends a fake ID with a badge number as proof. The FTC does not have agents.

How to avoid it

The FTC lists what a real FTC employee will never do. They will never ask you to send money or connect you to anyone who does, never threaten to disconnect your phone, never tell you to keep conversations secret, and never text a photo of an employee ID to verify identity.

1. Hang up. Do not share personal information or send money.
2. Do not look up a number during the call. If the caller tells you to find a police number and ring it, end the conversation instead. If you want to check, wait until the call is over, and use a number you already know.
3. Talk to someone you trust before doing anything, especially if the caller says it is secret.
4. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC also points to its page on how to avoid imposter scams.
5. If you sent money or gave details, tell your bank straight away, and read what to do after you shared a code or gave someone access.

Our guides to checking a government call and checking a caller ID give the general routine.

Things to watch

• A caller who claims to work for the FTC.
• A badge number or ID read out or texted as proof.
• A threat to deactivate your phone number.
• A transfer to a "police officer".
• A request for ID or personal information.
• An instruction to keep the call secret.
• A claim that you must travel or pay a security deposit.

A related script that moves you between callers is described in the fake call transfer to an SSA OIG agent. In both, the transfer is meant to add weight to the story, and ending the call is the answer.