The U.S. Marshals Service is warning the elderly and others to report a current phone scam.
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Mark J. Bertoncini said in a press release that fraudsters are calling people claiming to be a “U.S. Marshal,” court officer, judge, or police. They tell the caller that their identity has been stolen and their bank account is hacked.
The solution, they claim, is for the victim to take out money before their accounts are “frozen” to put on gift cards and give it to the “Marshal” so they can set up a new account and issue them a new social security card.
Officials urged anyone who gets the call to report it to the FBI and file a U.S. Federal Trade Commission complaint. Several people in northern Indiana have already reported getting the scam call, Bertoncini said.
The scammers may provide fake badge numbers, addresses, or spoof a caller ID to make it seem legitimate. Some people across the U.S. have lost tens of thousands of dollars in similar scams, he said. The agency never asks for money over the phone.
The U.S. Department of Justice has an National Elder Fraud Hotline to connect fraud victims to resources at 1-833-372-8311.
