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94.3 the Wolf Country That'll Make You Howl!
FBI warns of scams involving law enforcement
The FBI Louisville Field Office is alerting Kentuckians to an increase in reports of fraud schemes involving scammers impersonating law enforcement or government officials.
The FBI says criminal scammers are contacting Kentuckians using spoofed phone numbers and a variety of other tactics to pose as officials from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The most prevalent scheme right now involves the scammer posing as your local sheriff’s office and falsely accusing the victim of not reporting for jury duty or missing a court date, with the caller possibly claiming a warrant has been issued for the victim’s arrest. The scammers may use artificial intelligence or fraudulently-created court documents to appear more legitimate.
The FBI says the callers will seek to exploit the victim through intimidation. They will use an urgent and aggressive tone, refuse to speak with somebody else or leave a message, and urge victims not to tell friends, family, financial institutions, or other law enforcement agencies about the situation. The caller then pressures the victim to pay an immediate fine in order to avoid jail time or other negative consequences, with the demanded payment typically being cash deposited into cryptocurrency ATMs, prepaid cards, and wire transfers.
The FBI says no legitimate law enforcement agency, be it on the local, state, or federal level, will ever call members of the public to demand payment or threaten arrest, and no agency will accept payment via cryptocurrency. The FBI advises if you are targeted with such a call you “Take a Beat.” Do not provide any personal information, and do not exchange money with individuals you have not met in person.
Learn more about scam prevention at www.fbi.gov/takeabeat, and report scams to your local law enforcement agency or at www.ic3.gov.
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