FBI issues warning against phone scams

A special agent for the Cleveland Division of the FBI was the intended victim of a scam demanding money.

The FBI issued a news release March 22 about the threat.

The employee received a voicemail claiming to be from the Social Security Administration indicating she would be arrested if she did not return the phone call and pay the fine, according to the release.

Various scams are occurring in the community and the FBI is advising the public these are not legitimate, the release related.

It is difficult for law enforcement to determine the original source of these scams as most originate overseas, the release said.

Therefore, the best intervention is prevention, don’t be a victim, the release said.

Recently the Cleveland Division of the FBI has received calls from victims reporting the following occurrences:

• One elderly female wire transferred about $173,000 over three-months in a lottery scam. She was promised a prize of $2.5 million and an added bonus of a 2019 Mercedes Benz.

• A physician received a call stating that the Department

of Justice was suspending his medical license as numerous prescriptions were discovered with his name on them as the prescribing physician. The physician received faxes with Department of Justice logos entitled, “Federal Bond and Protocol Agreement” saying his bank accounts were comprised by drug traffickers. The physician complied with the demands to pay the fine and provided a total of $188,000.

• Scammers have represented themselves as FBI employees trying to help. In one instance, a lady received a pop up on her computer and was advised to call a tech support phone number. The lady called and was advised she was speaking to an FBI “cyber encryption” specialist and she needed to secure her money in cyber vaults. The victim tried to wire money to the scammers. Her bank was suspicious and rejected the wire transfer request. She then tried to send the money via UPS; the store returned the package to her. The bank and UPS store both notified police.

• Recently, scammers have been convincing their “potential victims” that their bank accounts have been compromised, therefore, they should liquidate their bank accounts and send all of their funds to a new financial account for safe keeping.

No matter the story behind the scam, individuals need to be cautious with phone, computer and mail solicitations demanding money, according to the release.

If the individual receives a “cold” call/ pop up demanding money for fines, for safe keeping, threats of arrest, etc. individuals should not respond hastily.

Most scammers express an urgency to resolve the matter and demand money be sent right away, the release said.

Government agencies will not telephone an individual demanding money be wired or cash placed in the mail to pay fines, according to the FBI.

Lottery winnings do not involve paying money first in order to collect your prize.

Individuals receiving these types of solicitations demanding money should discuss the occurrence with a trusted family member or friend, look the agency up online, obtain an actual phone number for the agency, call the agency and report the call/pop up received, the release said.