U.S. Marshals alert public of latest scam spoofing official phones

MILWAUKEE -- The U.S. Marshals in the Eastern District of Milwaukee are alerting the public of an imposter phone scam where con artists are spoofing the district office’s real number to trick people into sending money.

The U.S. Marshals are urging people to report the fraudulent calls to their local FBI office and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share the data with law enforcement. You can contact the FBI HERE. 

During these calls, scammers attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty or other offenses. They then tell victims they can avoid arrest by purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or a gift card and then read the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine.

Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, name of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses.

If you believe you were a victim of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local FBI office and to the FTC.

Things to remember: