MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Beware of phone calls that appear to be from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Memphis Field Office and the USMS said scammers are spoofing the number for U.S. Marshals, and claiming to be with the agency, or acting as court officers or other law enforcement. They’ll then try to get personal information or claim the target of the call needs to pay some sort of fines or fees.
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2021, Tennesseans reported being victims of government impersonation scams with losses totaling more than $1 million.
The FBI asks folks to keep in mind, any legitimate law enforcement officer will not demand cash or gift cards or threaten to extort victims with physical or financial harm to obtain personally identifiable information.
What can you do to protect yourself
The FBI offers these suggestions:
- Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
- Do not send money or gift cards to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
- Never give out your personal information, including banking information, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.
If you believe you are a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local FBI office and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
