FBI Atlanta Issues Warning of Phone Spoofing Scam in Georgia
Scammers are at it again. FBI Atlanta is warning Georgia residents about a phone scam where people are posing as university or college law enforcement officials, telling potential victims there is an outstanding warrant or fines against their children. The caller primarily targets parents or guardians of students at Georgia universities.
“Scammers are using spoofed law enforcement phone numbers, along with the names, positions, and addresses of officers,” according to a news release from FBI Atlanta.
Suspicious activity to look out for related to the scam includes calls from local law enforcement stating an individual has fines for outstanding warrants; calls from local law enforcement stating the court is holding the individual in contempt for failure to appear for jury duty; calls from local law enforcement demanding you remain on the line until the bond is paid; requests for monetary gift cards (visa/green dot, etc), bank deposits and voucher purchases to clear court fines or avoid jail time; or requests for videos or pictures of individuals conducting a personal strip search of themselves to clear court fines or avoid jail time.
Officials say if you get a voicemail from law enforcement demanding a call back, don’t respond. Keep in mind law enforcement will never call you if you have an arrest warrant for missing jury duty. They will also never ask for payment over the phone.
If you think you’ve been a victim of this scam, contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000 and file a complaint with the FBI at www.IC3.gov.
