There's yet another phone scam to be aware of and the Drug Enforcement Administrations says it's a "widespread fraud scheme."
The DEA says the new scam has people impersonating DEA agents trying to steal personal information and money from victims.
One scenario highlighted by the DEA in a press release involves the scammers telling the victim that their names were used to rent a car and that the car was stopped at the border, loaded with drugs.
The DEA says the scammers attempt to get the target's social security number or say their bank account is not secure. They've even been known to threaten arrest in connection with the fake drug bust and tell the victim to send money - potentially thousands of dollars - in the form of gift cards or wire transfer in order to pay a fine, assist with the investigation, or restore their bank account.
Related
Some scammers have also been known to spoof actual DEA phone numbers or text photos of what look like real law enforcement credentials in an attempt to make the scenario as real as possible for the victims. They have also used fake names and badge numbers in addition to names of real DEA agents who may be well-known or even the names of local police officers.
The DEA stresses that they never contact anyone by phone to demand money and will not ask for personal information over the phone. They say that they notify people of legitimate investigations either in person or with an official letter.
Anyone wishing to report a possible scam should report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).
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