Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
The Albuquerque FBI Division has seen a recent increase in phone calls that spoof its office phone number as part of a scam to demand money from victims.
The callers will “spoof,” or fake, the FBI’s main phone number, so the calls appear to be coming from the FBI on the recipient’s caller ID.
The fraudulent callers will use this fake information to try to get money from victims, usually by telling them to purchase gift cards.
While the FBI does not want the public to ignore calls that appear to come from law enforcement, be aware that neither the FBI nor any other legitimate law enforcement officer will ever demand cash or gift cards from you.
Other tips:
Do not send money or gift cards to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
Never give out your personal information, including banking information, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.
Anyone who feels they were the victim of this or any other online scam should report the incident immediately using the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov.
More information about government impersonation schemes and other online fraud schemes can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes