Credit union warns members of surge in government impersonation scams using pressure tactics

Members of IQ credit union are urged to stay vigilant as scammers escalate impersonation techniques, involving fake government calls and urgent money transfer demands, amid rising fraud losses reported by the FTC.

Credit union members are being warned about a wave of government impersonation scams that begin with a text message about an unfamiliar charge and escalate into calls from people claiming to be from the FDIC, FTC, FBI or the credit union itself. iQ said scammers are increasingly using pressure tactics to make victims believe their accounts have been compromised and that they must move money immediately to keep it safe.

The warning comes as the Federal Trade Commission reported in June that consumers lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, with nearly one in three fraud reports tied to that category. The agency said the losses have nearly tripled since 2020 and that scammers continue to exploit trust in official-looking communications, urgent threats and fake payment demands.

According to the FTC, imposters often push victims to withdraw cash, wire money, buy cryptocurrency or hand over valuables, while also trying to obtain passwords, PINs and Social Security numbers. The agency says legitimate government bodies will not ask people to transfer funds, send couriers for cash or gold, threaten arrest to force action or direct them to unfamiliar accounts.

iQ told members to stop and hang up if they receive a suspicious message or call, avoid clicking links and never share personal information or send money on demand. The credit union said anyone who has already disclosed information or transferred funds should contact iQ immediately at 360.695.3441 and consider reporting the incident to local police. It also said members can verify FDIC communications by calling 1-877-ASK-FDIC, while the FTC advises consumers to report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.