CHICAGO– The unfortunate reality of scams preying on consumers lingers across our country. A new type of telephone scam is targeting residents nationwide attempting to gain banking information from unsuspecting individuals.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers nationwide are receiving numerous calls from residents concerned about unsolicited calls from scammers posing as U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Residents are reporting the calls are a pre-recorded message stating, “a box of drugs and money being shipped; has your (callers) name on it and it has been intercepted.” The caller is then instructed to press #1 to speak with a CBP officer/agent, which then attempts to get the callers banking information.
And this scam is becoming more prominent here in the Chicago region. In fact, these criminals have stepped up their game. When the residents receive these calls, the spoofed caller ID registers the call as coming from CBP’s Chicago office, which gives it an air of legitimacy.
These calls are phone scams/phishing attempts and residents are urged to not provide the caller with any information. The Department of Homeland Security and CBP does not solicit money over the phone. If such calls are received, people should make a note of the number and any other pertinent details about the call and immediately hang up and report the incident if possible.
Phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online at reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
“Please keep your personal information safe, and I encourage everyone to report these calls,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director-Chicago. “Tell your family and friends that these scammers are after one thing- your money. CBP will never solicit money over the phone.”
Stay alert, be aware and never give your personal or banking information to an unverified or unsolicited caller.
Follow CBP on Twitter @CBPChicago and @DFOChicago.