How to Tell If an Official-Looking Notice Is Actually a Scam

Scammers know that a letter or email that looks official triggers fear, and fear makes people skip the checks they would normally do. Genuine government agencies and courts almost never ask for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer, and they rarely threaten immediate arrest over the phone or demand you act within hours. A real notice gives you a way to verify it independently — a reference number you can look up, an office you can call using a number you find yourself, not one printed on the suspicious letter.

Before reacting, pause and verify through a channel you found on your own — the official website, a number from a previous legitimate letter, or an in-person visit. Urgency and threats are the two most reliable signs something is fake; real bureaucracy is almost always slow, dull, and gives you time to respond.