State police are reminding people to be aware of phone scams as new scams have hit the area where the callers claim they are with different federal agencies.
Two such cases were reported recently to state police, where the scammers targeted a 67-year-old Indiana man and a 48-year-old Blairsville man. The scammers claimed that they were with the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and claimed that the victims had warrants out for their arrest, and demanded immediate payment in the form of gift cards for Nike, Apple iTunes, Target and Walmart. The two victims complied and it resulted in a combined loss of $10,900. One of the victims reported that the caller also requested their bank account information, and the other said the caller wanted to discuss their retirement accounts. The victims at that point recognized it as a scam and called the police.
State police ask that people verify the legitimacy of any monetary request, whether it’s over the phone, by regular mail, email or text message before complying with the request or providing any financial information. When in doubt, call a trusted family member or friend to discuss suspicious phone calls. They also advise everyone to check out www.attorneygeneral.gov for tips to guard yourself against these scams.
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