$12.5B
FTC-reported fraud losses in 2024
FTC says consumers reported losing $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
ICE impersonator phone call scam
Scammers call immigrants posing as ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, threatening arrest or deportation unless immediate payment is made.
“visa scam”
↑ 243%Key indicators
Usually targetsImmigrants
Often hitsRetirees and seniors
Common regionUnited States
Last updated2026-04-04
Estimated impact
$1.4K
median reported loss
Typical range$90 – $9.0K
Recovery rate~15%
Scam breakdown
1
Scammers use robocall systems or spoofed phone numbers to call immigrants, often in their native language, claiming to be ICE agents who have identified an immigration violation.
2
They threaten immediate arrest, deportation, or detention of family members unless the victim pays a fine or bond immediately.
3
Terrified victims, especially those with undocumented family members, pay thousands of dollars to avoid confrontation with real authorities.
What to do first
Hang up immediately — ICE never calls to demand payment over the phone and does not accept gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Related terms
fake ICE callimmigration enforcement scamdeportation threat callImmigrant-targeted scamsPhoneRisingImmigrantsNon-citizensUndocumented individualsRetirees and seniorsNonprofit and charity workersImmigrants and visa holdersUnited Statesfake ICE callimmigration enforcement scam
Real-world example
How this scam plays out in practice
Based on reported patterns. Names and details are illustrative.
The setup
Jason, 36, a immigrants, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate immigrant-targeted scams situation while using Phone. Scammers use robocall systems or spoofed phone numbers to call immigrants, often in their native language, claiming to be ICE agents who have identified an immigration violation.
Step 2
What happened next was calculated: They threaten immediate arrest, deportation, or detention of family members unless the victim pays a fine or bond immediately.
Step 3
The pressure escalated quickly: Terrified victims, especially those with undocumented family members, pay thousands of dollars to avoid confrontation with real authorities.
The outcome
Jason realized something was wrong when caller claims to be from ice and threatens immediate arrest or deportation. By that point, significant damage had already been done — money sent, personal information shared, or trust exploited.
The lesson
Hang up immediately — ICE never calls to demand payment over the phone and does not accept gift cards or cryptocurrency. Jason's experience shows why caller claims to be from ice and threatens immediate arrest or deportation and payment is demanded via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency to stop the deportation are the clearest early warning signs.
How to identify it
- Caller claims to be from ICE and threatens immediate arrest or deportation
- Payment is demanded via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency to stop the deportation
- Caller has some of your personal information and uses it to seem legitimate
- Pause before paying, clicking, or sharing information. Scammers rely on speed.
- Verify the sender, company, or agency using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
- Treat secrecy, urgency, and off-platform payment requests as strong scam signals.
What to do now
- ✓Hang up immediately — ICE never calls to demand payment over the phone and does not accept gift cards or cryptocurrency.
- ✓Contact a legitimate immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited legal services provider for advice.
- ✓Report the call to the DHS OIG hotline at 1-800-323-8603 and the FTC.
What to save before reporting
- ✓Save the message, profile, phone number, email, or URL that was used.
- ✓Keep payment confirmations, receipts, and account alerts before you dispute or delete anything.
- ✓Write down the timeline while the details are still fresh.
- ✓Save the full chat or call log before blocking the sender so the reporting path still has the original context.
How big is this problem
You are not alone — this scam affects millions of people.
These numbers come from government agencies and official reports. If you have been affected, know that this is a widespread problem — not something that only happens to careless people.
FTC 2024 fraud losses
Imposters
Most common FTC fraud category in 2024
FTC says imposter scams remained the most commonly reported fraud category in 2024.
History and evolution
- This scam family tends to persist because the social-engineering pressure works even when the exact scripts, platforms, and payment methods change.
- The specific packaging evolves over time, but the core pattern usually stays the same: create urgency, control the channel, and push action before verification.
- DHS reported a surge in government impersonation scams targeting immigrant communities, with ICE impersonation calls increasing 200% between 2021 and 2023.
Recovery and follow-up
- ✓Save the messages, receipts, account alerts, and transaction details before you block or delete anything.
- ✓Report the scam through the official platform or government channel that best matches where it happened.
- ✓Tell close contacts if a phone or text scam used your identity, so scammers cannot reuse the same story against people around you.
- ✓Hang up immediately — ICE never calls to demand payment over the phone and does not accept gift cards or cryptocurrency.
- ✓Contact a legitimate immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited legal services provider for advice.
Why this pattern keeps working
Even when the story changes, most scams still use the same pressure pattern: urgency, authority, and a request to move money or data fast.
DHS reported a surge in government impersonation scams targeting immigrant communities, with ICE impersonation calls increasing 200% between 2021 and 2023.
DHS Office of Inspector General 2024
Where to report it
If you have been targeted by this scam, reporting it helps authorities track the pattern and protect others. United States has dedicated agencies that handle fraud reports.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Central U.S. consumer fraud reporting portal.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI portal for internet-enabled crime reports.
Start identity theft recovery
IdentityTheft.gov
Official U.S. identity theft recovery plan builder.
Explore further
Understand the bigger picture
Who is most at risk
Who this scam targets
Primary targets
Immigrants, Non-citizens, Undocumented individuals
Geographic concentration
United States
Primary channel
Phone — Immigrant-targeted scams
Why this group is vulnerable
Immigrants are particularly vulnerable because this scam exploits trust in familiar brands, authority figures, and time-sensitive decisions. The growing number of reports suggests that awareness among this demographic remains low.
Sources and methodology
How we verify this information
OpenScam tracks scam patterns using a combination of government consumer protection databases (FTC, IC3, Action Fraud), platform-specific fraud reports, and verified consumer complaint data. Each entry is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication.
Severity ratings are based on financial impact potential, reversibility of damage, and volume of reports across multiple reporting channels. Trend velocity reflects the rate of change in report volume over the most recent 90-day window.
This page was last verified on 2026-04-04. Red flags, recovery steps, and reporting resources are reviewed quarterly against current agency guidance.
Evidence and indicators
- DHS reported a surge in government impersonation scams targeting immigrant communities, with ICE impersonation calls increasing 200% between 2021 and 2023.
Source notes
- DHS Office of Inspector General 2024
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about ice impersonator phone call scam
How does the ice impersonator phone call scam work?+
Scammers use robocall systems or spoofed phone numbers to call immigrants, often in their native language, claiming to be ICE agents who have identified an immigration violation. They threaten immediate arrest, deportation, or detention of family members unless the victim pays a fine or bond immediately. Terrified victims, especially those with undocumented family members, pay thousands of dollars to avoid confrontation with real authorities.
What are the warning signs of ice impersonator phone call scam?+
Caller claims to be from ICE and threatens immediate arrest or deportation Payment is demanded via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency to stop the deportation Caller has some of your personal information and uses it to seem legitimate
What should I do if I encounter ice impersonator phone call scam?+
Hang up immediately — ICE never calls to demand payment over the phone and does not accept gift cards or cryptocurrency. Contact a legitimate immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited legal services provider for advice. Report the call to the DHS OIG hotline at 1-800-323-8603 and the FTC.
Who is most at risk for ice impersonator phone call scam?+
This scam primarily targets Immigrants, Non-citizens, Undocumented individuals. It is most commonly reported in United States and typically appears on Phone.
Is ice impersonator phone call scam on the rise?+
ICE impersonator phone call scam is currently on the rise with growing reports. It has been reported across US. Last updated 2026-04-04.
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Help someone avoid this scam.
Scammers succeed because people do not talk about it. If you or someone you know has been affected, there is no shame in it — it happens to millions of people every year. Share this page with friends and family so they know what to look for.