A warning has been issued about a phone scam involving individuals posing as representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, scammers are making calls claiming a phone number was found in the contacts of a human trafficking victim. Callers then request money through mobile payment apps.
The fraudulent activity has been increasing in frequency, with callers using names of real federal prosecutors and addresses of federal offices to appear legitimate. They also spoof phone numbers to make it seem like the call is from a government agency. It is important to note that the U.S. Attorney’s Office does not call to request gift cards or credit card information.
If you receive a call like this, you are advised to hang up immediately. Taking precautions can help protect against falling victim to such schemes. Anyone who gets one of these calls or is impacted by them should report it to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC offers an online platform for submitting complaints about fraudulent calls and scams.
