The FBI has received numerous reports of scammers calling Hampton Roads residents claiming to be a local FBI agent, using a fake name and badge number to trick the victim into believing the call is legitimate.
The agency sent out the alert recently. Officials said the incoming phone number is “spoofed” on caller ID as the phone number for the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, shown as 757-455-0100.
There may be variations of the scam, but the caller typically tells the potential victim that criminal charges have been brought against the call recipient and offers to provide assistance in resolving the matter.
Authorities said the scammer may then attempt to get or confirm personal or financial information from the victim, or request payment for services, court costs, or fees in the form of cash or gift cards.
Recipients should hang up immediately and report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
Federal agencies do not call individuals and demand cash or gift cards, or ask to confirm personal or financial information such as a Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account number, according to the FBI.
The FBI defines this type of scam as government impersonation fraud, and according to IC3 there were 13,873 victims reported nationwide in 2019 with losses totaling more than $124 million.
Here are some tips from the FBI:
- Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
- Do not send money or gift cards to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
- Never give out or confirm your personal information, including banking information, date of birth, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information over the phone or to individuals you do not know.
More information about government impersonation and other online fraud schemes can be found here.
