Federal authorities have warned the public about a phone scam where callers impersonate law enforcement and court officials.
According to the FBI in Philadelphia and U.S. Marshals, the fraud callers state they are with the U.S. Marshals Service, county sheriff’s office or another law enforcement agency and accuse the victim of failing to appear for federal or local jury duty. The callers warn that the victim now has an arrest warrant issued against them.
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“The intended victim is advised that he or she must pay a fine, then report to court. To settle the fine, the scammers instruct the person to buy a prepaid debit card and provide them the card information,” officials said.
Below are tips from the FBI and U.S. Marshals on how to avoid becoming a victim:
- Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls
- Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don’t have ties and did not initiate contact
- Trust your instincts: if an unknown caller pressures you, or says things that don’t sound right, hang up
- If concerns remain about the caller’s claims, verify the information with the appropriate law enforcement agency or court officials
Victims of phone or online scams can file a complaint online with the FBI.
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