12/09/2025

Scammers are impersonating FTC Chief Privacy Officer John Krebs

FTC

All year round, scammers pose as government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to try to steal your money. Scammers sometimes make unexpected calls pretending to be FTC employees like Chief Privacy Officer John Krebs — but it’s not actually him. Here’s how the scam works so you can spot and avoid it.

People are reporting getting unexpected calls from someone saying they’re “agent” John Krebs — even though the FTC doesn’t have “agents.” The caller says that you’re under investigation for money laundering (you’re not, it’s a lie). To “resolve the matter,” the caller wants you to deposit money at a Bitcoin ATM — but it’s a scam, so hang up and keep your money.

Scammers sometimes fake caller ID numbers to make it look like it’s an FTC employee calling. Even if the caller uses the name of a real FTC employee, nobody from the FTC will ever tell you to pay or move your money to “fix a problem.” That’s a scam.