Frauds, Phonies and Scams

The Bureau of the Public Debt and the rest of the United States Department of the Treasury (collectively, "we" or "us") are aware of a number of fraudulent schemes (we like to call them "scams") that involve what are claimed to be securities issued or backed by us or any other part of the United States Government. These scams have been directed at banks, charities, companies, and even individuals, by individuals or organizations seeking payment on the fraudulent securities. These pages will alert you to these scams and help you protect yourself from being taken in. If you want to search for a particular term or scam, you can use our site's search engine by clicking on the find button on the left bar. However, we recommend that you look at all of these pages in order, particularly the first page, "How Marketable Treasury Securities Really Work." The better you understand our securities, the less likely it is that you'll be taken in.