The FBI is warning iOS and Android users about the latest scam to hit your phone’s display. In a release from the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, the agency warns about the latest scam which involves sending emails that include impersonations of law enforcement or government officials. Like most phishing campaigns, the bad guys are attempting to “extort money or steal personally identifiable information.”In addition to sending emails, the scammers also use phone calls that pretend to be from law enforcement or government officials, What makes this scam so hard to spot is that the criminals spoof caller ID so these bogus calls can seem to be made from a government agency’s legitimate phone number. The Feds tell those who receive such a call to hang up right away and report the phone call to law enforcement.
If you’re not sure if an email or call is real, the FBI says that it never will:
- Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
- Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
- Never request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards.
- Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.
The G-men (that’s the FBI) say that you can avoid becoming a victim of this scam by following these rules:
- Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
- Do not send money to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
- Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.
These are good rules to follow in response to any email, text, or phone call you might receive.
