U.S. marshals, FBI issue alert on imposter scam calls
Federal marshals and the FBI in Oregon are alerting the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers or other law enforcement officials.
They are urging people to report the calls to their local FBI office ( https://tips.fbi.gov ), and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement.
During these calls, scammers attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty or other offenses. They then tell victims they can avoid arrest by purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gift card and read the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine.
Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller ID as if they are calling from the court or a government agency.
If you believe you were a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local Oregon FBI at (503) 224-4181 or via online https://tips.fbi.gov and to the FTC .
Things to remember:
U.S. Marshals will never ask for credit/debit card/gift card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers for any purpose. Don’t divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers. Report scam phone calls to https://tips.fbi.gov and to the FTC. You can remain anonymous when you report. Authenticate the call by calling the clerk of the court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller.
Here’s the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment on the issues:
Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense against government agent impersonation scams.
Our partners at the U.S. Marshals Service are reporting a significant rise in the number of calls they are getting from concerned Oregonians upset about a new round of an old fraud. These people are reporting that they recently received an automated, threatening call – allegedly from the Marshals or other federal agents. The automated call states that the victim is going to be arrested based on a warrant issued by the IRS. That warrant is purportedly a result of the victim’s low credit score.
The call goes on to say that the person can avoid arrest by paying a fine, and the recording will direct the victim how to make contact with someone who can help. Usually, the fraudster will ask for payment using a prepaid debit card or gift card. Once the victim obtains the card, the fraudster will have the person send the number and PIN electronically or read the information over the phone. The funds can be moved off the card and into the scam artist’s hands before he’s even off the phone with the victim.
Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials or federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller ID as if they are really calling from the court or a government agency.
Things to remember:
Neither U.S. Marshals nor other federal agents will ever ask for credit or debit card numbers, gift card numbers, or bank routing numbers. They also won’t ask you to make wire transfers. Don’t divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers. Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office or submit information online at https://tips.fbi.gov Authenticate the call by calling the clerk of the court’s office in the U.S. District Court in your area to verify that the arrest warrant is valid like the caller stated.
For more information on cyber crimes, be sure to visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov
