It's called "spoofing" and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says, sadly a lot of folks have fallen victim of this latest scam.
Scammers are using phone number spoofing technology to make calls while posing as FBI and BCA agents. By manipulating the caller ID to match the official numbers of these law enforcement agencies, the scammers have successfully deceived unsuspecting targets.
Pretending that they are conducting an investigation and are collecting sensitive details such as Social Security numbers, banking information, and residential addresses, the scammers have been successful says BCA Superintendent Drew Evans.
"We're never going to ask for personal detailed information over the phone, and we encourage you to verify our identities if you ever think that it's not somebody from the government," says Evans. "A rule of thumb for me, if it seems fishy or something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. So take the steps to verify that information."
To determine whether the caller is legitimate, Minnesotans are advised to ask for a callback number and then reach out to the agency's official general information line.
The FBI number is 763-569-8000.
The BCA number is 651-793-7000.
“A legitimate BCA agent will encourage you to call the main phone number and confirm their identity. If the person who called doesn't want you to do that, hang up the phone. It's a scammer." Evans said.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this scam, help is available. Additional information about recognizing and reporting scams is available on the Internet Crime Compliant Center website.