FBI Newark is warning the public about a new twist on an old fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate federal law enforcement agents to steal victims’ money. Victims in New Jersey have reported criminals posing as FBI, DEA, and Secret Service agents, a scheme that has existed for decades. The new twist involves tactics that make it extremely difficult for potential victims to verify whether they are being targeted.
Criminals are contacting victims and spoofing the phone numbers of federal law enforcement agency field offices. They introduce themselves using the names of real federal agents. When victims call these field offices to confirm the agent’s identity, the person who answers verifies that the agent does, in fact, work there. In some cases, victims are unable to speak with someone but assume the call is legitimate because the phone number appears authentic. One fraudster even used an online virtual meeting platform and staged the background to resemble an FBI office, complete with a desk, an FBI seal, and a man in a suit.
The public can take the following steps to protect themselves from this type of fraud:
- Never send money to anyone claiming to be a federal law enforcement agent.
- Look up the official phone number for the agency yourself and call to verify the agent’s identity. Tell the person who answers that you believe you may be the target of a scam and want to confirm whether a real agent is contacting you.
- If you cannot reach someone at a local field office, contact the agency’s main office in Washington, D.C. Most federal law enforcement agencies have toll‑free 800 numbers.
- If a fraudster uses a virtual meeting platform, take photos or record the video and submit it to tips.fbi.gov.
- You can also call 1‑800‑CALL‑FBI to speak directly with a real FBI representative.