WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has warned the public to be alert against telephone scammers who continue to target residents nationwide to get hold of their personal banking information that would bypass financial security protocols.
Anyone receiving any type of call from someone claiming to be from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and seeking any type of personal information have been advised to 'just hang up.'
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release that its employees continue to receive numerous calls from people concerned about unsolicited calls from scammers posing as U.S. Border Patrol agents and CBP officers.
'If CBP suspects illegal activity, we will not call a suspect or a victim requesting money or Social Security numbers. To be clear, CBP will not make telephone calls threatening citizens that law enforcement is on the way or promising money for information,' said CBP Houston Acting Director of Field Operations Rod Hudson. 'Anyone receiving a call from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about self-deportation, or a shipment of drugs or money should recognize that it is a scam regardless of how authentic the caller may sound.'
In many cases, would-be victims are reporting that the scammers are insistent that they must confirm certain details because CBP has intercepted a shipment of drugs with the 'target's' name and address and that cooperation is important to ensure the case is resolved. If the target refuses to comply, the scammer threatens that the police will be arriving. When asked to reveal their identity, the scammers provide an actual CBP employee's name and phone number available on the internet for the target to verify. Some scammers are even providing fake case numbers and badge numbers.
The scammers are also making calls of pre-recorded message stating that a 'shipment of drugs or money with your name on it and has been intercepted.' The target is then instructed to press #1 to speak with a CBP officer/agent. When connected, the scammer then attempts to confirm the target's banking information.
CBP said these calls, whether a pre-recorded message or live person, are phone scams/phishing attempts and urged U.S. residents to not provide the caller with any information. IT made it clear that the Department of Homeland Security and CBP do not solicit money over the phone.
CBP advised the public to report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/?orgcode=USCBP2
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