FBI Warns: If You Hear This, Hang Up Immediately
The FBI has issued an urgent warning about a dangerous new scam targeting smartphone users, which could put your personal information and finances at significant risk.
This scam involves a phone call, using clever technology to deceive you, and has federal authorities highly concerned. While scam calls are nothing new, this particular one is especially alarming because it can be very difficult for Android and iPhone users to recognize the fraud in time.
Why is the Scam Hard to Detect?
The scammers use caller ID spoofing, making it appear as though the call is coming from a trusted source, like a technical support line, your bank, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or even your local police department. This trickery makes it much harder for victims to spot the fraud right away. Once they have you convinced, the scammers will pressure you into transferring money or downloading harmful software onto your device.
The urgency created by these scammers often leads people to act quickly, without thinking things through. Unfortunately, removing the malware later on can be very challenging, even if you realize what happened.
A New Warning: QR Codes
The FBI has also raised concerns about QR codes. Scammers can gain full access to your phone with just one scan of a seemingly harmless code, potentially stealing your personal information such as contacts, photos, credit card details, and online banking login credentials.
How to Protect Yourself
To avoid falling victim to this scam, it’s important to follow the FBI’s advice:
- Hang Up on Unsolicited Calls: If you receive a call from someone you didn’t contact first—especially if the caller seems like a reliable source—hang up immediately. The chances of such a call being legitimate are extremely low, and the risk is simply not worth it.
- Know the Scams: Scammers might tell you that your bank account is at risk, or that you need to send money to avoid arrest. There have been multiple reports across the U.S., from Virginia to New York, where scammers have posed as law enforcement officers and pressured victims into paying money.
- Scam Variations: These fraudsters often claim to be police officers and tell victims that they missed a court date, failed to attend jury duty, or have an overdue fine. They will threaten arrest unless the victim pays immediately. Authorities warn that these situations are entirely fabricated.
- Verify Calls from Law Enforcement: If you ever receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a police officer asking for money or making strange requests, hang up and contact your local law enforcement directly.
- CBP Warnings: The CBP has also warned about a rise in calls from scammers pretending to be CBP officers, asking for information about supposed illegal activity. The CBP has clarified that it will never call to request money, social security numbers, or make threats of imminent law enforcement action.
The FBI’s advice is clear: always hang up if you receive unsolicited calls asking for money or personal information, and always verify with official sources if you’re ever in doubt. This will help protect you from falling victim to scams.