Crooks pose as federal agents for telephone phishing scam

A federal agency is alerting the public about a telephone phishing scam targeting individuals “nationwide” with the intention of collecting personal information.

On Friday, Nov. 8, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a notice that agency employees have received “numerous calls” from individuals reporting unsolicited calls from scammers posing as agents.

According to CBP, the potential targets said the scam callers claim that CBP agents have intercepted a shipment of drugs with their name and address. The scammers then tell the targets they need to confirm certain personal information and that “cooperation is important to ensure the case is resolved.”

“If the target refuses to comply, the scammer threatens that the police will be arriving,” the agency said. “When the scammer is asked for a name, he provides an actual CBP employee’s name and phone number available on the internet for the target to verify.”

The agency said that some of the scam callers are reportedly providing fake case numbers or badge numbers to convince the target of their validity.

In addition to the live calls, some have reported receiving a similar pre-recorded message telling them a “shipment of drugs or money with your name on it … has been intercepted.” According to CBP, both versions of the call are phishing scams, and individuals should “just hang up” and not provide the callers with information.

The agency said anyone who receives a scam call from someone claiming to be a CBP employee should consider:

• CBP won’t call out of the blue with promises of money or threats. Is the caller asking you to pay a fee or share your Social Security, credit card or bank account numbers over the phone? Hang up. It’s a scam.
• CBP never uses gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers. If someone asks you to pay this way, it’s a scam. Always.
• Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can make their phone numbers look real even if they’re not.
• Check with CBP if you’re unsure about whether a call or email is real. Never call back phone numbers on a caller ID or left in voicemails, emails or social media messages. Instead, type the agency name into a search bar and click on its webpage to find contact information.

Rod Hudson, acting director of field operations for CBP Houston, said the agency has seen a “spike” in fraudulent calls from scammers who claim to be “seeking information about suspected illegal activity.” Hudson emphasized that the agency does not solicit information over the phone.

“To be clear, CBP will not make telephone calls threatening citizens that law enforcement is on the way or promising money for information,” Hudson said in a statement. “Anyone receiving a call from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about a shipment of drugs or money should recognize that it is a scam regardless of how authentic the caller may sound.”

If you believe you have been the target of a phone scam, you can file a report with the Federal Trade Commission online here. LL