The FBI Anchorage Field Office is receiving increased reports of Alaskans targeted by aggressive criminal scammers posing as law enforcement officers and state officials.
According to a Dec. 12 alert, the FBI notes that criminal scammers are using artificial intelligence and other means to appear as officials from the FBI, as well as from other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across Alaska. They are contacting victims using spoofed phone numbers and a variety of other tactics to appear legitimate.
“The scammers falsely accuse the victim of not reporting for jury duty or missing a court date and may claim an arrest warrant has been issued against the victim,” the FBI warned. “The scammers pressure and instruct the victim to immediately pay a fine to avoid arrest or other negative consequences. To increase the perceived legitimacy of the fraud or impersonation, scammers may also use artificial intelligence, provide official-looking court documents, or may already have personal identifiable information about the victim.”
Most commonly, the scams come in the form of phone calls or emails, and may include authentic names, phone numbers, along with fake credentials of well-known government and law enforcement agencies.
“Scammers will use an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim; and will urge victims not to tell anyone else, including family, friends, or financial institutions, about what is occurring,” the FBI alert noted. “Payment is demanded in various forms, with the most prevalent being cash inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs, prepaid cards, and wire transfers.”
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
The FBI notes that “legitimate law enforcement authorities will not call members of the public to demand payment or threaten arrest.”
In 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 17,000 complaints regarding government impersonation scams, with victim losses exceeding $405 million nationwide. In Alaska, reported victim losses exceeded $1.3 million.
“To avoid becoming a victim of this scam or any other online fraud scheme, the FBI urges the public to ‘take a beat’ before acting,” the FBI advises. “Resist pressure tactics and take time to assess if the situation is real. The FBI specifically encourages Alaskans not to provide or verify personally identifiable information to someone they have only met online or through unsolicited contact. They also should not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets.”
LEARN MORE
— Learn more about scam prevention at www.fbi.gov/takeabeat.
— If you believe you are a victim of this scam, or any other online fraud scheme, timely reporting is key. Cease all contact with the scammers immediately, notify your financial institution and safeguard any financial accounts, contact your local law enforcement, and file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov.
1 Comment
Ahhh… “Agent Smith” from the IRS.. Calling on a Saturday.. From Jamaica.. To inform me that I owed back taxes.. I cursed him out so hard that he hung up and had his “supervisor” call back. I proceeded to curse his “supervisor” out, he hung up. We all know the IRS does NOT call after 8-5, Monday through Friday. The IRS will send you a certified letter in the mail, they never call.
Last month was some joker posing as APD demanding that I pay for my “speeding ticket” over the phone (was not pulled over or given a speeding ticket in over 20 years).
Best advice- do not let them pressure you, ever. Once the scammer knows he’s got the bluff on you, you’ll make irrational and bad decisions because your brain is in panic mode. Don’t do it.
The latest is scammers using AI to impersonate friends and family. You could almost swear that it’s “uncle bob” on the phone. Like Ronald Reagan said- “trust, but VERIFY”. Ask questions that only the friend or relative would know. Wrong answers get hand-ups.