Source: PHOTO: THINKSTOCK/EUGENIO MARONGIU
NATIONWIDE — The FBI and United States Marshals Service sent out a release last Friday warning of scam calls using government phone numbers and government employee names.
These individuals are claiming to be representatives of the Marshals Service, court officers, and other law enforcement officials. The scammers will use several tactics to seem credible including providing badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials, federal judges, and addresses of government locations like courthouses.
They say the scammer will call and tell their potential victim that their identity has been stolen and bank account hacked. They instruct the victim to then withdraw money from the account before it is frozen and use the money to buy gift cards. While impersonating a law official the scammer claims they will use the gift cards to open a new bank account for the victim and give them a new social security number.
The release notes that the U.S. Marshal’s Service does not call individuals asking for money. The FBI and USMS urge people who receive these kinds of phone calls to hang up and report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
This scam has already been spotted by residents in northern Indiana, as well as on a national level. These scams can result in losses of thousands of dollars and often target the elderly. If you need to authenticate a call by a government employee, call your local United States District Court Clerk.
If you suspect you’ve already been the victim of fraud you can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.
