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The Tallahassee office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has received reports of efforts by scammers targeting residents across north Florida. The unsolicited telephone calls involve a scammer claiming to be a representative of a government agency, including the FBI’s Jacksonville Division.
The FBI Jacksonville Division Public Affairs Specialist Amanda Videll states that “There are many versions of the government impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. The caller typically advises the recipient of the call that charges have been, or soon will be, filed against them, and threatens to confiscate the recipient’s property, freeze their bank accounts, or have them arrested unless payment is made immediately. If the recipient questions the caller, the caller becomes more aggressive. The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees or court costs to resolve the matter, and the caller typically instructs people to wire ‘settlement’ money or provide payment via prepaid cards or gift cards to avoid arrest.”
Federal agencies do not call or email individuals and threaten them or demand money. If you think you are a victim of a scam and suffered a loss financially or otherwise, please file a report with your local law enforcement agency. Victims of scams should also contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. Data reported to the IC3 office allow analysts to identify patterns and fight against illegal scamming.