U.S. Customs and Border Protection is aware of numerous telephone scams targeting residents nationwide, including those in Monroe County.
Individuals nationwide have received unsolicited calls from scammers posing as U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Residents are reporting calls with a pre-recorded message stating, “a box of drugs and money being shipped has your name on it and has been intercepted.” Others are reporting calls from individuals claiming to be CBP employees and informing call recipients that there is a warrant for their arrest or requesting information in exchange for Bitcoin. In either case, the resident is instructed to provide banking information or other personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers or dates of birth.
These calls are phone scams/phishing attempts and have been around for the last few years. Residents are urged not to provide any information to the caller. The Department of Homeland Security and CBP does not solicit money over the phone, nor does it use Bitcoin or other digital currencies or gift cards. If such calls are received, people should make a note of the number and any other pertinent details about the call, immediately hang up, and then report the incident to their local police department and the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/. Those who would like to talk to someone from CBP may contact the CBP Information Center at 877-227-5511.
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