The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has once again alerted the public to a significant rise in phone scams, with criminals impersonating federal agents to defraud individuals. On July 4, the FBI reiterated its stance that it never contacts individuals by phone to demand money or threaten arrest. These fraudulent calls have been a growing concern as scammers use technology to spoof phone numbers, making their calls appear to come from legitimate FBI offices.
This renewed warning follows an initial alert issued in June and now includes additional federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service, who have observed similar fraudulent activities. These agencies have joined forces with the FBI to caution the public and urge vigilance.
The ATF has been actively cooperating with the FBI in investigating these scams. They have advised the public to refrain from sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers purporting to be federal agents. Similarly, the U.S. Marshals Service has emphasized that they do not call citizens to resolve court-related issues or to collect payments, as reported by Forbes. The scammers often use the real names of Marshals to lend credibility to their schemes.
In response to these scams, the FBI has provided guidance to potential victims, advising them to hang up immediately upon receiving such calls and to report the incidents to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. State and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police, have also seen a surge in reports of similar fraud attempts and have issued their own warnings.
The ATF has highlighted instances where scammers, using the ATF's name, have instructed victims to purchase Apple gift cards worth hundreds of dollars to supposedly clear a "red flag" from their accounts. Victims are then asked to provide the gift card codes over the phone. In a public notice dated July 2, the ATF encouraged anyone receiving suspicious calls to report them to 1-888-ATF-TIPS or the FBI’s crime complaint site and to contact local law enforcement agencies immediately.
The FBI has detailed the intimidation tactics used by these scammers, which include aggressive and urgent tones, refusing to speak with anyone other than the target, and advising victims not to discuss the call with others. These tactics aim to create a sense of urgency and fear, pressuring victims into complying with the scammers' demands.
In addition to these impersonation scams, there have been warnings about "jury scams" that use real police officer names to convince individuals they have missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid arrest. Police departments nationwide are warning citizens against phone calls demanding money for missed court dates, with number spoofing making the scams more convincing.
Other reported scams include fake calls from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), claiming fraudulent activity linked to Apple ID accounts and seeking money under the threat of legal consequences. The FBI stresses that no legitimate federal agent will ever demand payment or threaten legal action over the phone. Those receiving such calls should hang up, avoid interaction, and immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
