The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has issued a warning about ongoing phone scams involving individuals who falsely claim to represent the Department of Justice.
According to the office, these scammers often target people with immigration-related concerns, such as visa status, and may threaten retaliation if their demands are not met. They typically request personal information, including addresses or current locations.
To make their calls appear legitimate, scammers frequently use technology to spoof phone numbers so that it seems as though the call is coming from a government agency like the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that it will never “direct you to tell us exactly where you are at any given moment; ask you to provide information relating to your immigration status; or threaten you or tell you there are ‘consequences’ if you do not speak to us or comply with any demands.” The office also stated that it will never demand payment in any form, including gift cards, nor will it ask for credit card numbers. Such requests are common tactics used by scammers.
Individuals who receive suspicious calls from someone claiming to be from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are advised to hang up and contact the office directly at 315-448-0672. While scammers can spoof this number for outgoing calls, they cannot receive incoming calls on it.
Suspected scam incidents can also be reported through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/.
