FBI Denver is warning of a telephone spoofing scam where callers portray themselves as a special agent and the phone number shows as an FBI number.
The callers “spoof,” or fake, the FBI Colorado Springs’ main phone number, so the call appears to be coming from the FBI on the recipient’s caller ID.
In recent cases, the victim is told their identity and/or bank accounts have been compromised. The caller tells the victims they need to immediately move their money to gift cards or cryptocurrency. The caller asks for information that will verify this has been done; that information is used to then steal those funds.
To date, FBI Denver has identified victims with losses from $940 to $13,000; the victims do not live in Colorado or Wyoming but rather outside the FBI Denver’s area of responsibility. Numerous other people were contacted by the spoof caller but recognized the call as a scam.