Scams going around · Phone calls

Fake CFPB call about money you’re owed

Pretends to be the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency. A phone call, video call or email says you won a lottery, a sweepstakes or a class-action lawsuit. A class-action lawsuit is a court case brought for a large group of people. Someone claiming to be from the CFPB “confirms” the payout. Then you are told to pay taxes or a fee before you can collect it, and the reasons to pay keep coming.

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

Caller ID: (202) 555-0147

Hello, this is Mark with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I’m calling to confirm that you won a class-action lawsuit, and a large payment is waiting for you. To release it, you must first pay the taxes and a processing fee today. If you do not pay, the CFPB will open an investigation.

How to tell

• Someone says the CFPB is calling to confirm you won a lottery, a sweepstakes or a lawsuit.
• You are told to pay taxes or a fee before you can get the money.
• After you pay one fee, they find a reason for you to pay another.
• The caller says the CFPB will open an investigation if you don’t pay.
• An email looks official, but the address does not end in “.gov”.

What to do

• Hang up. Never pay a tax or fee up front to collect a prize or payout.
• Don’t give the caller your Social Security number, bank account number or card numbers.
• Don’t trust a name the caller gives you. Scammers may use a real CFPB employee’s name.
• Caller ID and emails can be faked, so even a message that seems to come from a .gov address is not proof.
• Don’t call back the number the caller gave you. To check, call the CFPB yourself at (855) 411-2372.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. Stop paying. Every new fee they ask for is part of the same scam.
2. If you paid by credit card, call the number on the back of the card right away. If you paid by debit card, bank transfer or Zelle, report it to your bank or credit union right away. Ask them to refund your money.
3. If you paid with a gift card, call the number on the back of the card right away. Say a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and receipt.
4. If you paid with a payment app such as Venmo or Cash App, report it to the app right away. If you used a wire transfer company such as Western Union or MoneyGram, report it to that company right away. Ask them to refund your money.
5. If someone has used your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If it hasn’t been used, or you aren’t sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.

How to check for real

If someone says they are from the CFPB, hang up. Call the CFPB yourself at (855) 411-2372. The line is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. In some cases, the CFPB does send real payments to people harmed by a company it took action against. But it will never require you to pay money to receive money.

Where to report it

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• If a scammer used your Social Security number: IdentityTheft.gov

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• CFPB: What are some common types of fraud and scams?
• CFPB: Contact us
• FTC: What to do if you were scammed
• CFPB (archived 2022 post): Beware of scammers pretending to be from the CFPB