FBI Denver is warning of a telephone spoofing scam where callers portray themselves as a special agent and the phone number shows as an FBI number.
The callers “spoof,” or fake, the FBI Colorado Springs’ main phone number, so the call appears to be coming from the FBI on the recipient’s caller ID.
In recent cases, the victim is told their identity and/or bank accounts have been compromised. The caller tells the victims they need to immediately move their money to gift cards or cryptocurrency. The caller asks for information that will verify this has been done; that information is used to then steal those funds.
To date, FBI Denver has identified victims with losses from $940 to $13,000; the victims do not live in Colorado or Wyoming but rather outside the FBI Denver’s area of responsibility. Numerous other people were contacted by the spoof caller but recognized the call as a scam.
Know that law enforcement will never call you and ask you to transfer money to gift cards; they won’t advise you to move financial accounts into cryptocurrency.
The FBI reminds the public to be vigilant and never share personal identifying information with a caller with whom you have not initiated contact or have not verified as legitimate. To check out someone who purports to be from the FBI, find the phone number of the local FBI field office and call that number directly. The field office will verify any legitimate contact.
If you think you have been a victim of this scam, report it at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
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