
FBI issues new warning over phone scam sweeping the US
In some cases, callers falsely claim a victim's Social Security number is frozen or that a loved one must pay for GPS monitoring to be released from jail, creating a false sense of urgency. The scam relies on phone number spoofing technology, which falsifies caller ID to make it appear as though the call is coming from trusted government agencies.
Federal agents say scammers are demanding thousands of dollars in payment via prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency ATMs. The US Marshals Service (USMS) clarified in a public alert: 'The USMS will NEVER call you to collect money or resolve a court case.' 'Hang up and report the call to your local FBI office,' the alert urged.
The FBI says the scam gained traction in June 2025, spreading across multiple states including New York, Illinois, and Virginia. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports callers demand gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000. 'You will not be asked to wire a 'settlement' to avoid arrest,' the ATF warned. Scammers, often using phone numbers from Martinsburg, West Virginia, tell victims they must pay to 'clear a red flag.'
Cybersecurity experts fear the scam tactics could evolve further, with the use of AI voice cloning or apps to impersonate officials even more convincingly. Variations of the scam are now appearing in nearly every state. The Chesapeake Police Department in Virginia reported scammers asking to borrow cell phones to transfer money or access private information. In Waterford, Michigan, police say callers use real officer names and ranks, demanding payment for missed jury appearances.
In May 2025, Prince George's County Police arrested two suspects posing as Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agents. They collected tens of thousands of dollars from a victim by falsely claiming Apple accounts had been compromised. The suspects reportedly visited the victim's home twice to retrieve cash, illustrating how far scammers will go. These arrests followed a grand jury indictment charging conspiracy to commit theft and related offenses.
Officials emphasize that while scam scripts change, the tactics remain the same: spoof trusted numbers and exploit panic to pressure victims into compliance. The New York State Police also issued alerts warning that calls threatening arrest unless victims provide Social Security numbers are fraudulent. They reminded the public that legitimate law enforcement will never make such demands by phone. Some scams have shifted to text-based 'smishing.' In June, the FBI warned iPhone users about fake DMV texts demanding payment for alleged traffic violations.
Reports of smishing attacks surged 773 percent, according to cybersecurity firm Guardio. Globally, Google's Global Anti-Scam Alliance reports scammers stole over $1 trillion in the past year. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission noted a 25 percent year-over-year rise in fraud-related financial losses as of March 2025. Experts warn this may be just the beginning. Cybersecurity researchers caution these scams will likely evolve further, potentially using AI voice cloning and malicious apps to impersonate officials with even greater sophistication.
There is also concern criminals could soon target smartphone voice assistants, cameras, or microphones, though no direct evidence of such attacks has emerged. Officials say victims not only lose thousands of dollars but are left anxious, shaken, and hesitant to trust legitimate law enforcement contacts. Experts call for advanced anti-spoofing tools at the telecom level and say scam education should be a core part of national cybersecurity efforts. For now, law enforcement advice remains simple and clear: 'If someone calls claiming to be an agent and demands money, hang up. Don't explain. Don't engage. Just hang up,' the FTC said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Married couple whose home was bursting with truckloads of illegal sex pills sentenced
A married couple from New York has been sentenced after federal agents confiscated truckloads of illegal sex pills from their home. Eduard Yusupov and Diana Fuzailov sold male and female sexual enhancement products online via their company Love Potion, Inc., claiming them to be made from natural ingredients. But the products offered by the couple included erectile dysfunction drugs containing an undeclared ingredient: Sildenafil – the active ingredient in Viagra, according to court documents seen by The Independent. Love Potion's online advertising falsely claimed the drugs and dietary supplements, which were largely manufactured in China, were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This was not true, as Sildenafil must be sold via prescription. Between November 2016 and February 2022, the couple received 200 parcels of sex pills to their home in Wading River, New York, before selling and shipping the products to customers located throughout the U.S. Two such parcels were seized by customs officials in March 2021 and contained more than 20,000 capsules. The powder inside the capsules contained Sildenafil. According to court documents, the couples' earnings from the scheme totaled over $3.5 million. Yusupov and Fuzailov pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and were sentenced at a federal court on Long Island Thursday. Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Yusupov to a year and a day in prison and Fuzailov received three years of probation, according to The New York Times. According to the FDA, 'contaminating' drugs with undeclared substances constitutes a type of medical health fraud. 'Many products that claim to help with sexual enhancement or treat sexual dysfunction—such as male enhancement supplements, erectile dysfunction treatments, male energy pills and stamina pills—are likely to be contaminated with dangerous hidden ingredients,' the FDA website states. 'These contaminated products are a type of medication health fraud.' Addressing the judge Thursday, Yusupov admitted to being '100 percent at fault' and said he was 'addicted' to buying the pills, The NYT reported. In a letter to the judge prior to her sentencing, Fuzailov's lawyers wrote she had accepted her part in the crime and was remorseful for her actions. 'She did not set out to commit a crime or do anything illegal.' the letter said. 'It is also acknowledged that she did not properly vet what she and her husband were doing and instead focused on making money without properly investigating the basis for the business. 'She also acknowledges that the lure of making money and paying off their debts took precedence over the red flags she increasingly became aware of.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Police finally make arrest after newborn twins were found dumped in rat-infested alley in New York City
A Bronx mother accused of dumping her newborn twins in a rat-infested alley has been arrested, five years after she committed the heinous crime. Stephanie Castillo, 36, was taken into custody Friday morning and charged with multiple counts of murder and manslaughter in connection with the deaths of her infant sons, law enforcement sources confirmed. The arrest follows a years-long investigation that recently linked Castillo to the crime through DNA evidence. On November 9, 2020, the babies were discovered in a filthy alley behind a College Avenue apartment building, near East 171st Street, in the Claremont section of the Bronx. One of the newborn babies was partially wrapped in a pet training pad with visible head trauma and an umbilical cord tied around his neck. The other was found about 20 feet away, tucked inside a black plastic bag. Both were less than 24 hours old and had been born alive, according to police. Castillo was arrested at a nearby shelter, just blocks from the apartment where she had previously lived - and from which police believe she may have thrown the babies out a fourth-floor window. 'The perpetrator in this case resided on the fourth floor of this apartment building, and we believe that the babies were disposed of out the window,' NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano told CBS New York. The twins, later named Zeke and Zane by detectives, were buried after officers raised money for their funeral. The case remained unsolved for years despite a $10,000 reward and repeated public pleas, according The New York Times. Castillo is now charged with two counts of murder and manslaughter. She is being held at the 44th Precinct and is expected to be arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court. 'This is exactly why we come to work every day. The NYPD, we don't give up. Our detectives are the best in the world,' Baldassano said.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Murder trial shown haunting footage of dentist 'poisoning' wife he took out $4million in life insurance policies on
The adulterous Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife had taken out life insurance policies totaling $4 million on her, the lead detective in his case testified on Friday. Aurora Police Det. Bobbi Jo Olson took the stand for the second time in the murder trial of father-of-six Dr James Craig, who was arrested on March 19, 2023 - the day after his 43-year-old wife, Angela, was taken off life support. Craig has also been charged in relation to an alleged jailhouse plot to order a hit on Olson – calling her 'the worst, dirtiest detective in the whole world' – along with other victims, jurors have heard during nearly two weeks of testimony. He's pleaded not guilty to murder, solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perjury. Prosecutors argue Craig poisoned his wife's shakes and administered fatal doses of arsenic, cyanide and tetrahyrdrozoline, a chemical found in eye drops, amidst mounting financial struggles and multiple affairs – particularly a budding romance with a Texas orthodontist. Olson testified on Friday that the dentist had several policies with Kansas City and Lincoln Life insurance companies totaling $4 million in the event of Angela's death. The detectives also outlined Craig's alleged movements in the days before and after his wife first got sick on March 6 – as the court was shown in-home surveillance footage from the family's kitchen. Angela's relatives alternately smiled, wiped tears and laughed as they watched their late loved one interact with her children on camera. But all lightness faded from the courtroom as footage showed Craig get up before 5am on March 6 – the date Angela first exhibited mystery symptoms after drinking a shake he prepared – to mix something in the kitchen and use the microwave. He'd ordered arsenic to the family home two days earlier, Olson testified on Friday - and footage showed Angela consuming the drink he appeared to have made her. Craig affectionately dog-whistled at his wife twice on the morning of March 6, and they discussed their child's car seat before he left the home, footage showed. Angela began feeling ill and went to the hospital later that day, feeling 'heavy' and like her body wasn't working properly, jurors heard earlier in the trial. On Friday, they watched as Angela accused Craig of 'failing' her the day after that first futile hospital visit - when doctors simply sent her home and told her to speak to her primary care physician. 'It may not be your call that they didn't do their due diligence or anything like that, but it's your fault they treated me differently,' she said. 'It's your fault … they treated me like I was suicidal … like I did it to myself.' She complained that Craig 'didn't actually defend me' and his behavior was '100% selfish and had nothing to do with being there for me. 'You ask all the details, in every medical … everything, everywhere you go, and you didn't even ask. 'You didn't try to do anything,' she said. 'You just brought me home.' Olson testified on Friday that records showed Craig had also ordered oleander and cyanide in the days after Angela first fell ill. Date and time stamps from footage shown in court on Friday of Craig's trips to and from the family residence matched up with previous evidence about trips he made to the supermarket - where receipts showed his credit card purchased Visine - and the loading dock of a medical company from which he'd ordered cyanide. An expert testified on Thursday that Craig's phone had pinged off towers corresponding to the locations. Jurors also watched footage on Friday from the hospital on March 15 - the date of Angela's final admission - in which Craig appears to have what Olson called a 'thin white or clear object in his left hand.' He later entered his wife's room for 'exactly 60 seconds,' she testified, before coming out and telling the nurse's station that Angela's arm hurt and her condition was deteriorating. Doctors told Angela's family later that day that all brain activity had ceased - and she was taken off life support on March 18. Craig's defense team - his third, after two others dropped out as the dentist racked up more charges from behind bars - argues that Angela was 'manipulative' and suicidal. The jury has heard evidence about how Craig repeatedly claimed Angela wanted to end her own life, asked him to obtain poisons for her and engaged him in a game of 'chicken.' Angela's friends and family have steadfastly testified that she loved life and being a mother - and was neither suicidal nor a risk-taker. There was also no mention of the 'game of chicken' in a four-page explanatory timeline Craig detailed himself the day after Angela was declared brain dead, Olson testified. Reading Craig's own words, she told the court how he claimed to have returned from the Vegas conference where he met his latest paramour on February 25 - then asked Angela for a divorce. 'She said she was just going to end her life,' Craig wrote in the timeline Olson read out. 'I begged her not to do that, but she said she couldn't get a divorce. 'She talked about driving her car into a pylon but was worried she wouldn't die but just be maimed,' he continued. 'That's when she started talking about poisons ... she asked me to research some poisons for her to find one that would kill fastest with high accuracy and the broadest spectrum.' Angela asked him to poison her shakes and voluntarily consumed arsenic and tetrahydrozoline, he claimed. Olson testified there was no evidence Angela ever searched for poisons. The court previously heard, however, of her desperate searches of her symptoms as she tried to figure out what was making her so sick. The court has also heard that searches about poisons and their lethality were found on an exam room computer at Craig's dental practice. Witnesses, including a former cellmate, another inmate and even Craig's 20-year-old daughter, have testified about his attempts to plant evidence and bribe witnesses to lie for him. Annabelle Craig told the court last how week how her father, soon after his arrest, asked her to create a deep-fake video to clear him showing her mom asking for the lethal substances. Four of Craig's mistresses from the months before Angela's murder have also testified at the trial. That included three 'sugar babies' he met on - and lavished with gifts like cars, money and out-of-state trips - and a Texas orthodontist he love-bombed and exchanged 4,000 texts with in under three weeks after meeting at a Las Vegas dental conference. Two 'sugar babies' testified that Craig told them a divorce would financially cripple him.