NEW JERSEY — FBI Newark is warning the public about a new twist on a long-running fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate federal law enforcement agents to steal money.
According to the FBI, victims in New Jersey have reported criminals posing as agents with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Secret Service. While federal law enforcement impersonation scams have existed for decades, authorities said criminals are now using tactics that can make it difficult for potential victims to determine whether the person contacting them is legitimate.
Scammers are contacting victims while spoofing the phone numbers of federal law enforcement agency field offices and introducing themselves using the names of real federal agents, according to the FBI.
When victims call the field offices to verify the identity of the purported agent, the person answering may confirm that an agent by that name does work there. In other cases, victims are unable to reach anyone but assume the original call was legitimate because the phone number appeared authentic.
The FBI said one fraudster used an online virtual meeting platform and staged the background to resemble an FBI office, including a desk, an FBI seal and a man wearing a suit.
The FBI is reminding the public never to send money to anyone claiming to be a federal law enforcement agent.
Anyone who receives such a call should independently look up the official phone number for the agency and call to verify the agent’s identity. The FBI recommends telling the person who answers that you believe you may be the target of a scam and want to determine whether a real agent is attempting to contact you.
If someone cannot reach a representative at a local field office, the FBI recommends contacting the agency’s main office in Washington, D.C. Most federal law enforcement agencies have toll-free 800 numbers.
Anyone contacted by a suspected fraudster through a virtual meeting platform is encouraged to take photos or record the video and submit the information to tips.fbi.gov.
The public can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI to speak directly with an FBI representative.
