FTC Phone-Deactivation Scam: What to Do If Someone Threatens to Shut Off Your Number

• The FTC says a real employee will never threaten to disconnect your phone number, demand money, or tell you to keep the conversation secret.
• Hang up, do not call a number supplied by the caller, and avoid sharing identification, account details, passwords, verification codes, or payment information.
• Report the incident to the FTC and, in the United States, consider filing an FCC complaint. If you shared sensitive information, start identity-theft recovery steps right away.

The FTC phone-deactivation scam is designed to make you panic

The Federal Trade Commission warned on October 22, 2026, about a scam in which callers pretend to be FTC officials and claim that a phone number registered in your name is connected to criminal activity. They may threaten to deactivate the number, transfer you to a fake police officer, demand personal information, and eventually ask for money to avoid arrest or a supposed security deposit.

None of those threats are legitimate. The FTC says its employees will not threaten to disconnect your phone, ask you to send money, tell you to keep the conversation secret, or connect you with someone who demands payment.

If you receive this kind of call, the safest response is simple: hang up. Do not argue, press buttons, call back, or use a phone number the caller gives you.

How the scam call usually unfolds

The caller may begin with details meant to sound official. They could claim to know your name and phone number, read out a fake badge number, or say your number was used in scams overseas. The goal is to make the situation feel urgent before you have time to check the story.

Next, the caller may transfer you to someone posing as a police officer or another government official. In some cases, the scammers may even tell you what to search online and provide a phone number that appears to belong to a real police department. That does not verify the call. The number, search result, or person answering may be controlled by the same fraud operation.

After building a false sense of authority, the scammers may ask for a driver’s licence, passport details, Social Security number, date of birth, banking information, account passwords, or one-time verification codes. They may also insist that you keep the conversation private.

That combination of threats, secrecy, and pressure is a major warning sign. Government agencies do not use a surprise phone call to force you to pay money or surrender sensitive information.

What to do if you get the call

1. End the call. You do not need to stay on the line or prove that you are innocent.
2. Do not call back using the number provided. Caller ID can be spoofed, and the number supplied during the call may be fake or controlled by the scammers.
3. Do not share information. This includes government ID numbers, banking details, passwords, account recovery codes, and copies or photos of identification.
4. Do not send money. Ignore demands for wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, cash, payment-app transfers, or a so-called security deposit.
5. Save evidence. Write down the date, time, caller ID, callback number, names used, claims made, payment instructions, and any text messages or voicemails. Take screenshots before deleting anything.
6. Tell someone you trust. A family member, caregiver, friend, or colleague can help you slow down and spot inconsistencies, especially if the caller told you not to speak with anyone.

Report the scam to the right U.S. agencies

Reporting will not restore a phone call or immediately stop every scammer, but it gives investigators information about patterns, phone numbers, and impersonation tactics. The FTC is the main reporting destination for this specific scam.

When you report the incident, include the caller’s claimed agency, the number shown on your phone, any number they told you to call, the date and time, what information they requested, and whether you sent money or documents.

You can also report the call to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC says complaints about unwanted calls and caller-ID spoofing help inform enforcement and policy work, although the agency generally does not resolve individual unwanted-call complaints.

For an FCC complaint, select the phone category and the option for unwanted calls or texts. Include the displayed caller ID number, the number that received the call, the time and time zone, the name used by the caller, and any screenshots or recordings you lawfully retained.

What to do if you already shared information

Do not assume the damage is unavoidable. Move quickly and focus first on the information you disclosed.

• If you shared bank or credit-card details, contact the financial institution using the number on your card or a statement. Ask the fraud department what should be frozen, replaced, or monitored.
• If you shared a password, change it immediately anywhere it was reused. Start with email, banking, mobile-carrier, and payment accounts, then turn on multifactor authentication where available.
• If you gave away a one-time verification code, contact the affected company directly and explain that a scammer may have attempted to access the account.
• If you provided your Social Security number or other identity information, review your credit reports and consider placing a fraud alert.
• If you sent money, contact the payment provider immediately. Recovery is not guaranteed, but speed matters, particularly with wire transfers, payment apps, gift cards, and cryptocurrency transactions.

IdentityTheft.gov can create an FTC Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan when someone misuses your personal information. It also explains how to contact businesses, place a fraud alert, review credit reports, and dispute fraudulent accounts.

If the caller installed software, asked for remote access, or had you change security settings, disconnect the device from the internet and contact the device maker, carrier, or a trusted technician through a verified support channel. Do not use a support number supplied by the caller.

Canada: use Canadian reporting channels

The October 22 alert describes a U.S. FTC impersonation pattern, but similar government-imposter calls can target Canadians. A caller claiming to represent a Canadian agency should not be trusted simply because the caller ID displays a government name or a local number.

Canadian residents should hang up, avoid sharing information, and report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or local police. The CRTC also advises Canadians to report suspicious calls that impersonate government representatives and provides separate complaint options for unwanted telemarketing calls.

For a suspected fraud, use the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre route rather than treating the call as an ordinary telemarketing complaint. If you are unsure whether your phone service or account has been affected, contact your carrier through its official app, website, or billing statement.

What happens next?

The FTC has confirmed the scam pattern, but it has not announced that a phone number can be disconnected through this type of enforcement call. If your service actually stops working, contact your carrier through a verified channel and ask whether there is an account, technical, billing, or SIM-related issue. Do not assume the caller was telling the truth.

The practical rule is straightforward: a surprise caller who claims to be from the FTC, threatens to deactivate your number, demands secrecy, or asks for money is not following a legitimate government process. Hang up, preserve the evidence, and report the attempt.

Helpful Links

• FTC Consumer Alert: The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number – Read the FTC's confirmed description of the phone-deactivation impersonation scam and its warning signs.
• FTC ReportFraud.gov – Report the impersonation scam and provide details about the caller, demands, phone numbers, and losses.
• FCC Unwanted Calls and Texts complaint guidance – Learn how to report unwanted calls, texts, caller-ID spoofing, and related phone scams in the United States.
• IdentityTheft.gov Recovery Steps – Follow federal recovery steps if you shared personal information or believe someone misused your identity.
• CRTC Scam Alerts – Find Canadian guidance for reporting suspected government-impersonation calls and other phone scams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can the FTC really deactivate my phone number?

A. Not through a surprise phone call like the one described in this scam. The FTC says its employees will not threaten to disconnect your phone number or demand money to prevent it.

Q. What if the caller ID showed the FTC or a police department?

A. Caller ID is not proof of identity because scammers can spoof numbers and names. End the call and find contact information independently through a known official website, a statement, or an official app.

Q. Should I call the police number the scammer gave me?

A. No. The number may be part of the scam, even if someone answers and confirms the caller’s story. Save the information and report it through the FTC or the appropriate Canadian reporting channel.

Q. What if I only gave the caller my name and phone number?

A. Stop communicating with the caller and watch for follow-up calls, texts, emails, or account-reset requests. Your name and phone number alone do not prove that an account was compromised, but they can be used to make later impersonation attempts sound more convincing.

Q. Do Canadians report this scam to the FTC?

A. The FTC alert is a U.S. consumer warning. Canadians should report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or local police and use CRTC complaint channels for applicable unwanted telemarketing calls.