Scammers impersonate US Marshals, other officials

U.S. Marshals and the FBI are warning about phone scams targeting residents in the greater Philadelphia area.

According to a news release, scammers will impersonate U.S. Marshals, court officers or other law enforcement over the phone, and aim to collect a fine for a made-up offense like identity theft or failure to report for jury duty. Scammers will tell victims they can avoid arrest by paying the “fine” via a prepaid debit card or depositing cash into a bitcoin ATM.

According to the release, scammers in the greater Philadelphia region often impersonate Customs and Border Protection officers.

Scammers will tell victims that border control has found packages addressed to them with illegal substances from Mexico and Colombia, and bank accounts used to wire money from these countries in their name.

To seem legitimate, scammers will read personally identifying information to the victims like their address and phone number, and will provide a fake badge, case and warrant number.

Following the initial call, victims receive a follow-up call from a scammer claiming to be with the U.S. Marshals Service, demanding a large payment and threatening arrest if they fail to do so.

Scammers are able to “spoof ” real government phone numbers to make their calls seem authentic, the release said.

Scammers often target elderly residents. The U.S. Marshals advise, if you are contacted by a scammer, to end the call and report it to your local FBI office and the Federal Trade Commission.

The U.S. Marshals Service will never ask for credit card numbers, wire transfers, bank routing numbers or bitcoin deposits “for any purpose.”

— Lindsay Weber