PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have issued a public warning regarding the latest telephone scam, which aims to steal banking information from unsuspecting callers.
According to CBP, agents have witnessed a sustained rise in the number of concerned calls from the public, which claim scammers are posing as U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
In a December release, CBP explained the calls are generally reported as pre-recorded messages which claim, “a box of drugs and money being shipped has your name on it and it has been intercepted.” Following this message, CBP said the caller is prompted to dial ‘one’ to speak with an agent, who will then work to obtain the resident’s banking information.
The agency warned that an almost identical phone scam, conducted without the pre-recorded automated message has also been recently reported.
“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, ” CBP stated in the release. “The Department of Homeland Security and CBP does not solicit money over the phone.”
The agency has asked residents who receive unsolicited or suspicious calls from a person who claims to be with CBP to record the caller’s number and any details about them, before immediately hanging up.
CBP said they encourage the public to report calls of this nature or any other potential phishing attempts to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
“I encourage everyone who receives one of these scam calls to report it,” said Grand Forks Sector Border Patrol Chief Anthony S. Good. “Remember to keep your personal information safe and just hang up when solicited by one of these scammers.”