The FBI Boston Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers targeting New Englanders through unsolicited telephone calls in which the caller claims to be a representative of well-known law enforcement and government agencies, including the FBI, to extort money or steal personally identifiable information.
Be advised, law enforcement and federal agencies do not call individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even if they appear to be coming from an agency’s legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call.
The tactics used by scammers continually change but often share many of the same characteristics, including the utilization of intimidation tactics. Typically, the scammers will use an urgent tone; advise the recipient of the call that charges have been—or will soon be—filed against them; and threaten to confiscate the recipient’s property, freeze their bank accounts, or have them arrested unless payment is made immediately. If the recipient questions the caller, the caller becomes more aggressive. The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees or court costs to resolve the matter, and the caller typically instructs people to wire “settlement” money or provide payment via prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, and cash, sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs to avoid arrest. The scammer may also tell the victim to keep the matter secret from family and friends…