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Scam simulator · Phone calls

The Arrest Warrant Call

A recorded voice says legal action has been filed against you. An “officer” says there’s a warrant for your arrest, but you can clear it today. Practice what to do, and see where the money really goes.

  • About 5 minutes
  • 6 decisions
  • Common in: US (fake IRS, Social Security or sheriff's office), UK (fake HMRC), Australia (fake ATO) and Canada (fake CRA)

Why it matters: From January 2025 to July 2026, the FBI received nearly 61,000 complaints about people pretending to be police or government officials, with losses of more than $1.6 billion. Fake jury duty and warrant calls alone cost nearly $36 million. (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, September 2026)

It’s a weekday afternoon and you’re at home. You did your taxes on time, as far as you know, and you haven’t been called for jury duty in years.

Below, each step shows what you'd see, the choices people make, and why each one is safe or risky. The summary at the end tells you what to look for and what to do.

You'll see each message or call as it would really look. Choose what you'd do, and you'll find out why. Nothing here is real: no messages are sent and nothing you choose leaves your device.

  1. Step 1 of 6 First contact

    The phone rings. You don’t recognize the number, and when you answer, it’s a recorded voice.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Incoming call

    (202) 555-0131

    1. Recorded voice: “This is an important message from the tax office. A legal case has been filed against you for unpaid tax. To speak to an officer before a warrant is issued for your arrest, press 1 now.”
    2. Recorded voice: “If you ignore this message, local officers will be sent to your address.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Would a real tax office start with a recorded threat and a button to press?

    1. Press 1. If there’s a problem with my taxes, I want to sort it out before it gets worse.

      Risky choice

      Pressing 1 puts you straight through to the scammers, and tells them a real person answers this number. The threat of arrest is there to make you act before you think. A real tax office doesn’t phone with recorded threats. In the US, the IRS contacts people by mail first.

    2. Call back the number that rang me, to ask what it’s about.

      Risky choice

      Calling back that number reaches the same scammers. Caller ID can be faked to show any number, even a real government one. Only use a number you look up yourself.

    3. Hang up without pressing anything. If I’m worried, I’ll check my tax account myself, or call the tax office on a number from its official website or a letter I already have.

      Safe choice

      That’s the safe move. Hanging up costs you nothing. If you really owed tax, you’d expect letters about it, and a number you find yourself will reach the real office.

    Red flags at this step

    • A recorded message threatening arrest
    • “Press 1” to speak to an officer
    • A problem you’d never heard of until now

    What's really going on

    Messages like this go out to huge numbers of phones at once, often in a computer-generated voice. In the US they claim to be the IRS or Social Security. In the UK they say “HMRC are filing a lawsuit against you. Press 1 to be connected to a caseworker.” In Australia they claim to be the ATO, and in Canada the CRA. The IRS says it “contacts taxpayers by mail first” and does not “leave urgent, threatening prerecorded messages, call to demand immediate payment, or threaten arrest.”

  2. Step 2 of 6 The hook

    Many people do press 1, just to find out what’s going on. A man answers straight away, sounding calm and professional.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Connected

    (202) 555-0131

    1. Caller: “Thank you for responding. This is Officer Daniel Reed, badge number 4471, tax enforcement division. Can you confirm you live at 14 Elm Street, and your date of birth is March 3, 1948?”
    2. You: “Yes, that’s me. What’s this about?”
    3. Caller: “I’m sorry to tell you there’s an active warrant for your arrest for unpaid tax of $4,860. Officers have been assigned to pick you up today. I can stop that, but only if we resolve it on this call.”

    He knows your address and date of birth. What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    How could he know your address and birthday? Does that prove he’s an officer?

    1. Listen to what I need to do. He must be real, or how would he know my details?

      Risky choice

      It’s natural to think so, but names, addresses and birth dates are easy for criminals to get from data breaches. Knowing them only proves the caller has a list. A badge number costs nothing to make up.

    2. Ask him to repeat his full name and badge number so I can write them down.

      Better, but not the safest

      Asking questions is better than going along, but it won’t protect you. He can give any name and number he likes, and he’ll sound just as sure the second time. The only real check is to hang up and call a number you’ve found yourself.

    3. Tell him I’ll call the office back myself, then hang up and look up the number on the official website.

      Safe choice

      Exactly right. A real officer would be fine with that. A scammer will try to stop you hanging up, which is the next clue. A number you look up yourself is how you reach the real office.

    Red flags at this step

    • A threat of arrest over a debt you didn’t know about
    • A badge number and an official-sounding title
    • A stranger who knows your address and date of birth
    • A problem that can only be fixed “on this call”

    What's really going on

    Scammers use personal details from data breaches to sound official. The FBI says they now also use the names of real officials, fake uniforms and even AI-generated video calls. In the US, a common version is a “sheriff’s office” saying you missed jury duty. The FTC says they may send you to a fake court website with “government-looking seals” and ask for fines of up to $10,000.

  3. Step 3 of 6 The pressure

    Suppose you’re still on the line, and you say you’d like to talk to your family first. The officer’s tone changes.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Connected

    (202) 555-0131

    1. Caller: “I need to be very clear with you. If you disconnect this call, it will be recorded as a refusal to cooperate, and officers will be sent to your home within the hour.”
    2. Caller: “This is a confidential legal matter. You are not permitted to discuss it with family, friends or your bank until it is closed. Stay on the line with me while we resolve it.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Why would a real officer need you to stay on the phone, and keep it secret?

    1. Stay on the line and keep it to myself. I don’t want officers turning up at my door.

      Risky choice

      This is what the scammer needs. Keeping you on the phone stops you from checking the story, and secrecy stops the people who care about you from spotting the scam. The threat is empty. No officers are coming.

    2. Hang up anyway, and call a family member or a friend to talk it over.

      Safe choice

      That’s the best thing you can do, and it takes courage. Real officers don’t threaten you for hanging up, and no law stops you talking to your family. Saying it out loud to someone you trust breaks the spell of the call.

    Red flags at this step

    • “Don’t hang up, or officers will come”
    • “Don’t tell your family or your bank”
    • A sudden change from friendly to threatening

    What's really going on

    The FBI names both of these tactics: “keeping victims on the phone for the duration of the scam” and “urging victims not to tell family, friends, financial institutions, or law enforcement about the call.” Fear makes it hard to think, and a second person would spot the scam straight away. The FBI says police and government authorities “will never contact members of the public by telephone or text message to demand any form of payment.”

  4. Step 4 of 6 The ask

    If someone stays on the line, the officer explains how to “clear the warrant” today. While he’s talking, a text arrives.

    Practice screen Text message
    (202) 555-0188Text message

    This sender is not in your contacts.

    1. CASE 58-2291. Bond amount: $4,860. Take cash to the nearest government payment kiosk (located in convenience stores). Scan this QR code at the kiosk to pay the court. [QR code] This matter is confidential.2:41 pm

    The officer says: “Go to your bank and take out the cash. If the teller asks, say it’s for a car you’re buying. Stay on the phone with me the whole time.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Is there really such a thing as a “government payment kiosk”? And why would you need to fib to your own bank?

    1. Go to the bank, take out the cash, and tell the teller it’s for a car, as he said.

      Risky choice

      Bank staff are trained to spot this scam and could stop it, so the scammer gives you a story to tell them. Once the cash leaves the bank, it’s very hard to get back.

    2. Ask if I can pay by card over the phone instead, so I don’t have to go out.

      Risky choice

      Any payment to this caller goes to a criminal, however you make it. Card details read out over the phone can be used again and again. The only safe amount to pay is nothing.

    3. Hang up. The government doesn’t take payments at a machine in a convenience store, and it would never tell me to fib to my bank.

      Safe choice

      Exactly. The FTC says a “government kiosk” is “no such thing”. If you’re ever unsure, go into your bank and tell the staff the whole story. They’re trained to spot scams like this and can help.

    Red flags at this step

    • A “bond” or fine to pay the same day
    • A “government payment kiosk” in a convenience store
    • A QR code sent by text
    • Being told what to say to the bank teller

    What's really going on

    The “government payment kiosk” is a cryptocurrency ATM, often called a Bitcoin machine. The QR code is the address of the scammer’s own digital wallet. Cash fed into the machine becomes cryptocurrency in their wallet within minutes, and it can’t be reversed. In 2025, Americans aged 60 and over reported losing $257.5 million through these machines.

  5. Step 5 of 6 The ask

    Suppose you do go. The officer, still on the phone, guides you to a machine at the back of a convenience store. When you touch its screen, a warning appears.

    Practice screen Cash machine screen

    Cash to Crypto

    STOP. Are you being scammed?

    No government agency, court, police force, utility or bank will ask you to pay with cryptocurrency.

    If someone sent you here, or is on the phone with you now, stop and ask a store employee for help.

    Payments cannot be reversed.

    I understand. Continue

    The officer says: “That’s a standard message everyone sees. Press Continue, then scan the code I sent you.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Read the warning on the screen slowly. Who is it describing?

    1. Press Continue and scan the code. The officer says the warning is standard.

      Risky choice

      The warning is describing exactly what is happening to you. Once you scan the code and feed in the cash, it goes to the scammer’s wallet and usually can’t be got back. The officer only wants you to stop reading.

    2. Stop, hang up, and show the warning to someone who works in the store.

      Safe choice

      That’s the right thing to do. The warning is there because this happens so often. A store employee can help you call a family member or the police. You still have your money.

    Red flags at this step

    • A caller guiding you through a machine, step by step
    • Being told to click past a scam warning
    • A machine that turns cash into cryptocurrency

    What's really going on

    These machines sit in convenience stores, gas stations and vape shops, and many people sent to them don’t realize they’re crypto machines. Rules are tightening. Australia’s financial crimes regulator, AUSTRAC, has set a A$5,000 limit on cash deposits and requires scam warnings. New Zealand announced a ban on crypto ATMs in 2025. In the UK, it’s illegal to run one without registration and none are registered, so any crypto machine there is a warning sign. Indiana, Tennessee and Minnesota have banned them too.

  6. Step 6 of 6 Afterwards

    A week later, people who paid get another call from the same officer. He sounds pleased.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Incoming call

    (202) 555-0131

    1. Caller: “Good news. Your case is closed, and the court has approved the refund of your $4,860 bond.”
    2. Caller: “Before we can release it, there’s a processing fee of $950. I’ll also need your Social Security number and your bank details, so the refund goes to the right account.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Would a real refund cost you money first?

    1. Pay the fee. I want my $4,860 back, and this seems to be the only way.

      Risky choice

      There is no refund. The fee is simply a second payment to the same criminals, and if you pay it, another reason to pay will usually follow. Stopping now protects the money you still have.

    2. Refuse the fee, but give my bank details so they can pay the refund in.

      Risky choice

      Bank details and ID numbers are what the scammer wants now. With them, criminals can get into your account or open new accounts in your name. No refund is coming, so there’s nothing to pay in.

    3. Hang up, call my bank on the number on my card, and report what happened.

      Safe choice

      That’s the right move. A refund that needs a fee first is always a scam. Your bank can watch your accounts, and reporting it helps police go after the people behind it.

    Red flags at this step

    • A “refund” that needs a fee first
    • Being asked for ID numbers and bank details
    • The same caller coming back after you’ve paid

    What's really going on

    People who have paid once are often called again, because the scammers know they’ll listen. The second request might be a “processing fee”, a fee to clear your record, or ID numbers that lead to identity theft. Later there may be a call from someone who says they can recover your money for a fee. The FBI says its complaint center “will never ask for payment to recover lost funds.”

What really happened

No officer, court or tax office was involved. The recorded message went to huge numbers of people, and the warrant, badge number and case number were all made up. Your address and birth date came from a stolen list. The “government payment kiosk” was a Bitcoin machine, and the QR code sent the cash straight to the criminals’ wallet. Hanging up at any step, and calling a number you found yourself, would have ended it.

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Protect the whole family with Scam-Proof

This simulator is one scam. Scam-Proof puts 50 of today's scams in one calm, large-print book to keep by the phone, for you and the people you love.

This scam is in the book. Chapter 2 covers calls from fake officials, and scams 3 and 6 in the book's 50-scam library cover the tax office and jury-duty calls.

  • Spot the three-part pattern behind almost every scam: pressure, secrecy and strange payment
  • Handle fake bank, tax, Medicare and tech-support calls with word-for-word scripts
  • Catch out cloned-voice “grandchild in trouble” calls with a family safe word
  • Check a text, email or website before you tap anything
  • A 50-scam library with the tell and the fix for each
  • 20 "Say This" scripts for tricky calls and messages

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Summary · keep this

Arrest warrant call: what to look for and what to do

Remember: Tax offices, courts and police never phone to demand payment, never threaten arrest if you hang up, and never take money through a Bitcoin machine. Hang up and call a number you look up yourself.

What to look for

  • A recorded message about a lawsuit, warrant or unpaid tax that asks you to press 1
  • Threats of arrest, officers at your door, or losing your benefits
  • A caller who gives a badge number and knows your address and date of birth
  • “Don’t hang up” and “don’t tell your family or your bank”
  • A fine, bond or tax debt that must be paid today
  • Gift cards, prepaid cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or a “government kiosk”
  • Being told what to say to the bank teller
  • A “refund” that needs a fee first

What to do

A recorded message says there’s a legal case or warrant against you
Don’t press 1 and don’t call back. Hang up. If you’re worried, check your tax account yourself, or call the office on a number from its official website or a letter.
A caller says you missed jury duty
Hang up. Look up the court’s own website and call the court on the number listed there.
Someone says you mustn’t hang up or tell anyone
Hang up at once and talk to someone you trust. Only scammers say this.
You’re sent to a machine in a store with a QR code
Stop. No government takes payment this way. Hang up and ask a store employee to help you call family or the police.
A caller offers to refund your “bond” for a fee
Hang up. It’s the same scammers. Call your bank on the number on your card and report it.

If you've already paid, clicked or shared details

Don't be embarrassed. These scams are run by professionals, and acting fast gives you the best chance of stopping the damage.

  1. Stop all contact. Hang up, and don’t pay anything more, whatever they say.
  2. Call your bank on the number on your card. Tell them the cash you took out was for a scam.
  3. If you paid at a crypto machine, keep the receipt and call the operator’s support number on the machine or receipt straight away. Some can stop a payment that hasn’t gone through yet.
  4. Report it to the police and, in the US, to the FBI at ic3.gov. Include the phone numbers, the texts and the receipt.
  5. If you gave an ID number or bank details, get identity help (see below for your country).
  6. Expect more calls, including offers to get your money back for a fee. They are scams too.

Where to get help and report it

United States

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank or card company now, on the number on the back of your card.
  • Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for anything online, to the FBI at ic3.gov.
  • Aged 60 or over? The National Elder Fraud Hotline can help you report and recover: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1‑833‑372‑8311), Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm Eastern.
  • Free advice from trained volunteers: AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877‑908‑3360. You don’t need to be a member.
  • Scam texts: forward them to 7726 (spells SPAM).
  • Gave out personal details? Get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and think about a free credit freeze.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money? Call 911.
  • Calls pretending to be Social Security can be reported to the Social Security Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report.
  • Fake IRS emails: forward them to [email protected]. The IRS contacts people by mail first.

United Kingdom

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call 159 to reach your bank safely (it works for most major banks), or use the number on your card.
  • Report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  • Tricked into a bank transfer? Ask your bank about a refund. UK rules cover most transfers up to £85,000 if you claim within 13 months.
  • Scam texts: forward them free to 7726. Scam emails: forward them to [email protected].
  • Free, confidential advice: Age UK Advice Line, 0800 678 1602.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 999.
  • Fake HMRC texts: forward them to 60599. Fake HMRC emails: forward them to [email protected].
  • Crypto machines are illegal to run in the UK without registration, and none are registered. Anyone sending you to one is a scammer.

Australia

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card or in your banking app.
  • Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. If it happened online, also report it to police through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
  • Gave out personal details or ID? IDCARE gives free help: 1800 595 160.
  • Not sure what to do? The Australian Cyber Security Hotline is 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). For police, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
  • Scam texts: report them to Scamwatch. Telstra customers can also forward them to 7226; other providers may too, so ask yours.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 000.
  • Not sure if a tax call is real? Hang up and call the ATO on 1800 008 540 to check.
  • Calls about Centrelink or Medicare that threaten arrest: call the Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126.

Canada

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1‑888‑495‑8501 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4:45pm Eastern) or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. Tell your local police too.
  • Scam texts: forward them to 7726.
  • Gave out personal details? Ask Equifax and TransUnion to put a fraud alert on your credit file.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 911.
  • Not sure if a tax call is real? Hang up and sign in to your CRA My Account yourself to see what you owe. The CRA says it will never threaten to arrest you or accept payment in cryptocurrency.

New Zealand

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it to Police on 105 (or 105.police.govt.nz) and to the National Cyber Security Centre at ncsc.govt.nz/report or 0800 114 115.
  • Free advice: Netsafe, 0508 638 723.
  • Scam texts: forward them free to 7726.
  • Gave out personal details or ID? IDCARE gives free help: 0800 121 068.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 111.

Ireland

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it at your local Garda station. In an emergency, call 999 or 112.
  • Scam texts: mark them as spam and block the sender. Texts from unregistered senders now show as “Likely Scam”.
  • Check before you invest: search the Central Bank of Ireland register at registers.centralbank.ie. Scam alerts from Irish banks are at fraudsmart.ie.

The rules that stop almost every scam

  • Hang up and call back on a number you find yourself: the back of your card, a bill, or the official website.
  • Never share a code sent to your phone, and never let anyone who contacted you take control of your computer or phone.
  • Never move money to keep it safe. No bank, police force or government agency will ever ask you to.
  • Gift cards, crypto, Bitcoin machines, wire transfers, cash couriers and gold are how scammers get paid. Anyone who asks for them is a scammer.
  • Secrecy and hurry are the giveaways. Anyone who tells you not to tell your bank or family, or to act right now, is working against you.
  • Tell someone. Talk it over with a family member, a friend or your bank before you pay anyone you didn’t plan to pay.

Phone numbers and web addresses were checked on 28 September 2026. They can change; if one doesn't work, search for the organization's official website, and please let us know.

Sources we checked

The people, numbers, companies and web addresses shown in this simulator are made up. The way the scam works is taken from real cases reported by police, regulators and consumer groups.

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