Latest news with #phoneSpoofing
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Forbes
FBI Warning—Do Not Take These Calls On Your Smartphone
These calls are not what they seem. Republished on July 4 with further police and federal agency warnings that fraudulent callers are now targeting smartphone users in the U.S. This is not the FBI. That was the stark warning from the bureau in June, as attacks on smartphone users frightened victims into sending money to avoid arrest, 'spoofing FBI phone numbers nationwide and impersonating government agents.' Less than a month later and those warnings are now being amplified. Both ATF and U.S. Marshals have just issued similar alerts as attackers widen the net. ATF is 'working with the FBI, which is actively investigating this scam. The public is urged to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers.' The U.S. Marshals will 'NEVER call you to collect money or resolve a court case,' warning that scammers use 'real USMS names' in their attacks. 'HANG UP,' it says in its own public alert, 'and REPORT to your local FBI office.' The FBI says callers trick victims 'into thinking an arrest is imminent unless they send money,' which does not happen. 'The FBI will never call you demanding money to get out of criminal charges. It's a scam. Hang up and visit the FBI's to file a report.' These attacks are not limited to federal agencies, and we have seen a raft of state and local reports warning of the same attacks. The New York State Police has alerted citizens to 'an ongoing phone spoofing scam in which scammers impersonate members of law enforcement or government agencies in an attempt to solicit sensitive personal information from individuals across New York State and beyond.' ATF says the attacks impersonating its own agents instruct victims 'to purchase Apple gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000 to 'clear a red flag' from their accounts. Victims are then asked to provide gift card numbers to the callers.' In its July 2 public advisory, ATF says citizens should 'report suspicious calls to the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at And anyone falling victim should 'contact local law enforcement immediately.' ATF will never 'call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will 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; request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards; [or] call you about 'frozen' Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.' The FBI warns there are many versions of this scam, 'and they all exploit intimidation tactics.' Callers use 'an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim.' They also warn victims 'not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions.' There should be doubts as to the variety of these law enforcement impersonation scams — every avenue is being explored. These include a warning on Thursday that a jury scam is 'using real police officer's names,' with one police department warning citizens that callers use the name and ranks of serving officers, warning that jury service had been missed and a payment was due in order to avoid arrest. Similarly, police forces warn scammers pretending to be police officers are demanding money for missing court appearances. In reality, it doesn't matter what script is used, when phone numbers can be spoofed it's easy to gain a victim's confidence. Even the FTC has been the subject of these impersonation scams, with victims receiving calls warning of 'fraudulent activity on their Apple ID.' Again the financial ask is spurious, but works given the threat of fines or arrest. As the FBI says, no federal agent 'will ever call or email you to demand payment or threaten arrest.' If you ever receive any of these calls, hang up and do not engage. If you have any doubts, call local law enforcement and explain what has happened.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Forbes
FBI Warning—You Must Not Take Any Of These Phone Calls
These calls are not what they seem. This is not the FBI. That was the stark warning from the bureau in June, as attacks on smartphone users frightened victims into sending money to avoid arrest, 'spoofing FBI phone numbers nationwide and impersonating government agents.' Less than a month later and those warnings are now being amplified. Both ATF and U.S. Marshals have just issued similar alerts as attackers widen the net. ATF is 'working with the FBI, which is actively investigating this scam. The public is urged to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal or financial information with unsolicited callers.' The U.S. Marshals will 'NEVER call you to collect money or resolve a court case,' warning that scammers use 'real USMS names' in their attacks. 'HANG UP,' it says in its own public alert, 'and REPORT to your local FBI office.' The FBI says callers trick victims 'into thinking an arrest is imminent unless they send money,' which does not happen. 'The FBI will never call you demanding money to get out of criminal charges. It's a scam. Hang up and visit the FBI's to file a report.' These attacks are not limited to federal agencies, and we have seen a raft of state and local reports warning of the same attacks. The New York State Police has alerted citizens to 'an ongoing phone spoofing scam in which scammers impersonate members of law enforcement or government agencies in an attempt to solicit sensitive personal information from individuals across New York State and beyond.' ATF says the attacks impersonating its own agents instruct victims 'to purchase Apple gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000 to 'clear a red flag' from their accounts. Victims are then asked to provide gift card numbers to the callers.' In its July 2 public advisory, ATF says citizens should 'report suspicious calls to the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at And anyone falling victim should 'contact local law enforcement immediately.' The FBI warns there are many versions of this scam, 'and they all exploit intimidation tactics.' Callers use 'an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim.' They also warn victims 'not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions.' If you ever receive any such call, hang up and do not engage. If you have any doubts, call local law enforcement immediately and explain what has happened.
Forbes
07-06-2025
- Forbes
FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Do Not Answer These Calls
You have been warned — do not take the call. Republished on June 7 with new warnings and more detail on potential threats. The FBI is warning smartphone users this week to be alert to nationwide attacks that frighten citizens into sending money. There's a nasty twist to this scam, and it's one where law enforcement is especially keen to stop Americans becoming victims. 'Scammers are spoofing FBI phone numbers nationwide,' the bureau says, 'impersonating government agents. Victims are tricked into thinking an arrest is imminent unless they send money.' If you receive such a call, the advice is simple and clear: 'The FBI will never call you demanding money to get out of criminal charges. It's a scam. Hang up and visit the FBI's to file a report.' The FBI is not alone in being spoofed in this way — this has become a powerful attack methodology and it's catching on fast. Last week I warned that multiple police forces across several states have issued the same warnings." New York State Police has told its citizens that 'an ongoing phone spoofing scam" is now "impersonating members of law enforcement or government agencies in an attempt to solicit sensitive personal information from individuals across New York State and beyond.' Those scammers 'demand personal information such as Social Security numbers and have threatened punitive action against recipients who refuse to comply.' Whether it's federal, state or local law enforcement, the advice is exactly the same. Do not take the calls. As soon as you hear the initial pitch from the scammer, hang up and file a report, either with your local police or with the FBI's national IC3 service. As with the FBI, New York State Police warns that attacks spoof legitimate phone numbers "to make it appear as if calls are coming from trusted agencies. These scams are designed to create confusion and fear, often leading victims to comply with demands or share information that can be used to commit further fraud.' While law enforcement impersonation scams continue to prompt warnings from various cities and states, the threat is now widening its net with multiple warnings as we head into the weekend. Attacks now include scammers impersonating bank investigators, fire department charity collections and even jury duty calls that tell citizens they must pay given failure to appear, to avoid more serious consequences. The bureau's advice though remains unchanged. 'There are many versions of the impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. Typically, scammers will use an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim; and will urge victims not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions, about what is occurring.' The scammers' demands could be in various forms: 'Prepaid cards, wire transfers, and cash, sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs,' even handing cash or other valuables 'to a courier who arrives at their home.' You have been warned — this scam is nasty and preys on natural fears. Do not be afraid to hang up the phone. If you have any doubts, call back your local police force using a publicly available number. But all law enforcement agencies stress they never make such threats by phone or text — it's a scam every single time.
