FBI warns of scammers impersonating law enforcement, government officials
The FBI is warning of scammers impersonating law enforcement or government officials who try to extort money or steal personal identification information.
The scams can come in various forms, but most commonly are email or phone calls, according to an announcement by the FBI Philadelphia field office.
Officials said scammers often spoof caller ID information so fraudulent calls appear to be from an agency's legitimate phone number. Recipients are advised to hang up immediately and report the call to law enforcement.
Fraudulent emails may give the appearance of legitimacy by using pictures of the FBI director and/or the FBI seal and letterhead, officials said.
Common hallmarks of a scam email include misspellings, missing words or incorrect grammar, officials said.
They said law enforcement does not call or email people threatening arrest or demanding money.
Tips
To avoid becoming a victim:
• Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
• Do not send money to anybody you do not know and trust.
• Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to people you do not know.
Officials said the FBI will never:
• Call or email citizens demanding payment or threatening arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a settlement to avoid arrest.
• Ask you to use large sums of your money to help catch a criminal.
• Never request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency or gift/prepaid cards.
• Call you about 'frozen' Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.
Taking action
If you believe you are a victim of a law enforcement or government impersonation scam:
• Immediately stop all contact with the scammers.
• Notify your financial institutions and safeguard any financial accounts.
• Contact your local law enforcement and file a police report
• File a complaint with the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov.
• Be sure to keep any financial transaction information, including prepaid cards and banking records and all telephone, text or email communications.
If you think you are a victim of this or any other online scam, officials advise that you file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.
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