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CBP warns of phone scams by fake Border Patrol agents

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US Customs and Border Protection reiterates its warning about phone scams “targeting residents across the country to obtain personal information to circumvent financial security protocols.”

The agency said in a Sunday message to X that there are scammers impersonating CBP officers and Border Patrol agents, promising money for information or threatening that law enforcement is on the way.

The social networks post aimed at a previous warning from November, which followed a “surge of phone calls from concerned citizens about scammers.”

“When CBP suspects illegal activity, we will not call suspects or victims asking for money or Social Security numbers,” CBP Houston Acting Director of Field Operations Rod Hudson said in a statement.

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CBP Phone Scam Alert

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says fraudsters are looking for banking information by posing as agents. (US Customs and Border Protection)

“To be clear, CBP will not make phone calls threatening citizens that law enforcement is approaching or promising money for information. To anyone who receives a call from US Customs and Border Protection about sending drugs or money must recognize that this is a scam, regardless of how authentic the caller may sound,” the statement said.

The scammers even went so far as to display the name and phone number of a real CBP officer available online so the victim could identify them, the agency said. Some went so far as to give their targets fake case numbers and badges, according to CBP.

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Form of a border guard officer

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says scammers impersonated employees over the phone to obtain financial information about victims. (CBP)

Some scammers operated with a pre-recorded message saying something like “a load of drugs or money with your name on it and it’s been intercepted”, before asking the subject to press 1 and connect to a live person.

Residents who accept the call, known as a phishing attempt, are not required to provide any information to the caller.

a person checking e-mail

The type of fraud that CBP is referring to over the phone is known as phishing. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

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Phone fraud can be reported The Federal Trade Commission is here.

The four main points CBP is reminding people are:

  • CBP will not call out of the blue with promises of money or threats.
  • CBP never uses gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers.
  • Don’t trust the UN.
  • Check with CBP if you are unsure whether a call or email is genuine by entering the agency’s name in the search bar and clicking on its website to find contact information.

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