FBI says fake police and government scams cost victims about $1.6 billion

The scams used unsolicited phone calls and, in some cases, video calls. The FBI described several pretexts, including claims that a victim missed jury duty or faced arrest because of circumstantial links to an alleged crime. Each approach ended with a demand for payment.

Foreign nationals, international students and immigrant citizens were given special treatment by the scammers, according to the FBI. They were threatened with extradition and with losing their home-country passports, along with threats to cancel visas unless they paid. To convince targets, scammers built studio sets, wore uniforms or suits and appeared in video calls as supposed foreign law enforcement agents or US-based diplomats. TechRadar reported that 10 percent of all losses were traced to a single scam that targeted fewer than 3 percent of the victims.

TechRadar also said fake cop scams are not confined to the United States. The fraud can take place online or offline and is an international criminal phenomenon, the report said.

For people who answer such a call, TechRadar listed steps to avoid falling victim. The first is to remain calm, because the scenario is designed to create stress and anxiety that cloud judgment and force the scammer’s narrative, such as a missed jury duty or an illegal presence in the country. The second is to request credentials; a failure to provide them is an early red flag and a reason to end the conversation. The third is to check the credentials, even if it takes time, because a legitimate caller will not object to waiting or calling back. Most importantly, TechRadar said, law enforcement, security services and the FBI will not demand money. If a caller does, the call should be ended.