Reporting
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this telephone spoofing scam is urged to call the DHS OIG hotline at (800) 323-8603 or file a complaint online at www.oig.dhs.gov.
Fraud alert: Scammers spoofing HSI telephone numbers to target victims
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City is issuing a fraud alert to warn the public of reports that HSI telephone numbers have been recently used as part of a telephone spoofing scam targeting individuals throughout the country. Spoofing is the deliberate falsifying of information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise an identity.
“The public should be wary of individuals who call and claim to be from any government agency,” said HSI Kansas City acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho. “It is almost unheard of that a government will contact someone via the telephone, but if you do receive a phone call, before you give them any personal information, HSI recommends you end the call, look up the official agency phone number online and call them directly to ensure you’re speaking to a legitimate representative.”
The perpetrators of these scams represent themselves as employees with Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security or other government entities. They alter caller ID systems to make it appear that the calls are from legitimate phone numbers within Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security. The scammers obtain or verify personally identifiable information from their victims through various tactics, such as by telling people they are victims of identity theft. Scammers also pose as law enforcement or immigration officials and threaten victims with arrest unless they make payments using a variety of methods.
“Don’t be intimidated into compliance,” said Cho. “HSI will not call you and ask for personal identifying information or demand money, so don’t be coerced into complying with the caller’s demands. Instead, report it so we can help bring a stop to this.”
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this telephone spoofing scam is urged to call the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General’s hotline at (800) 323-8603 or file a complaint online at www.oig.dhs.gov. You may also contact the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint or report identity theft.
Learn more about HSI’s mission to combat fraud in your community on Twitter @HSIKansasCity.
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