FBI Issues Important Nationwide Warning

The FBI has reissued a public warning on July 4 following a rise in phone scams targeting smartphone users.

These scams involve fraudulent calls where criminals pretend to be federal agents in order to extort money from victims.

The warning, originally issued in June, emphasized that the FBI never calls individuals to demand payments or threaten arrest. Scammers have been using spoofed phone numbers to appear as legitimate FBI contacts.

Now, additional federal agencies have joined the FBI in issuing alerts. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service have reported an increase in such impersonation scams and are urging the public to stay cautious.

According to the ATF, they are cooperating with the FBI in investigating the scam. They advised people not to share personal or financial information with unsolicited callers claiming to be federal agents.

The U.S. Marshals Service emphasized they never call citizens to settle court-related matters or collect payments.

Their warning highlighted that scammers often use real names of Marshals to make their calls seem credible, as Forbes reported.

The FBI clarified that it does not contact individuals to demand money in exchange for avoiding criminal charges. Instead, victims are advised to immediately hang up and report such calls to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

State and local law enforcement agencies have also seen a surge in reports of similar fraud. For example, the New York State Police issued a warning about spoofed calls impersonating officials in attempts to gather sensitive personal information.

ATF noted that its name has been used by scammers who instruct victims to buy Apple gift cards worth hundreds of dollars to allegedly remove a “red flag” from their accounts. The victims are then asked to provide the gift card codes over the phone.

In a public notice dated July 2, ATF encouraged anyone receiving suspicious calls to report them to 1-888-ATF-TIPS or the FBI’s crime complaint site. Victims are also urged to contact their local law enforcement agencies right away.

The ATF reiterated that they will never contact private citizens to demand money, request wire transfers, ask for gift card information, or threaten legal action. They also clarified they do not deal with frozen Social Security numbers or inheritance claims via phone.

The FBI outlined the intimidation tactics used in these scams. Callers often adopt aggressive and urgent tones, refuse to speak with anyone other than the target, and advise victims not to share details of the call with others.

These scams come in many forms. On Thursday, a separate warning was issued about “jury scams” that used real names of police officers to convince victims they had missed jury duty and needed to pay to avoid arrest.

Police departments across the country have cautioned citizens against phone calls demanding money for missed court dates. The spoofing of phone numbers makes these scams more believable to unsuspecting individuals.

Other impersonation scams have included fake calls from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), falsely claiming fraudulent activity linked to Apple ID accounts. These scammers also seek money under threats of legal consequences.

The FBI stresses that no legitimate federal agent will ever demand payment or threaten legal action over the phone. Anyone receiving such calls is advised to hang up, avoid interaction, and immediately contact the proper authorities.

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