A telephone scam is targeting residents nationwide in an attempt to gain banking information from unsuspecting residents.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers nationwide are continuing to receive numerous calls from residents concerned about unsolicited calls from scammers posing as U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Residents are reporting the calls are a pre-recorded message stating, “a box of drugs and money being shipped has your (callers) name on it and it has been intercepted.” The caller is then instructed to press #1 to speak with a CBP Officer/Agent, which then attempts to get the callers banking information. There have also been reports of this same type of scam, however, the caller is an actual person, not a pre-recorded message.
These calls, whether a pre-recorded message or live person, are phone scams/phishing attempts and residents are urged to not provide the caller with any information. The Department of Homeland Security and CBP does not solicit money over the phone. If such calls are received, people should make a note of the number, any pertinent details about the call/caller, and immediately hang up. Residents are encouraged to report the incidents as soon possible. Phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/?orgcode=USCBP2.
“If you receive one of these calls, don’t give out any of your information. The best thing you can do is write down the caller’s number and report it,” said Grand Forks Sector Border Patrol Chief Anthony S. Good.
