SCARBOROUGH — The U.S. Marshals Service is warning the public about a recent phone scam where impostors are pretending to be U.S.
Marshals, Federal officials, or other law enforcement officers.
These scammers are using caller ID “spoofing” to make it appear as though their calls are coming from actual U.S.
Marshals office numbers, attempting to coerce victims into paying money under the false pretense of avoiding arrest or other legal trouble.
The fraudulent calls involve threats of arrest, property seizure, or freezing of bank accounts unless the victim agrees to pay a fine or post bond.
Scammers have been known to use personal information, such as past addresses and phone numbers of potential victims, to sound convincing.
They may also give out false badge numbers, case numbers, and names of real law enforcement personnel.
The U.S. Marshals Service advises the public to be cautious and to verify any such calls by contacting the agency directly through numbers found on official websites.
Citizens who receive these calls should not provide personal or financial information and are encouraged to report any incidents to the local FBI office and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Key reminders from the U.S. Marshals include that they will never ask for payment via credit card, gift card, wire transfer, or bank routing numbers over the phone.
To report scam phone calls, individuals can contact their local FBI office or submit a complaint to the FTC, with the option to remain anonymous.
Victims of fraud, including internet, business, or phone scams, should file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
