by On Tuesday, federal authorities warned citizens of Massachusetts to be wary of scams in which scammers impersonate government and law enforcement officials in order to extort money or steal personal information.
According to a statement released by the FBI’s Boston Division on Tuesday, authorities in New England have received more reports of scammers targeting consumers with unsolicited phone calls while impersonating law enforcement. According to police, the scammers frequently utilize caller ID fraud and intimidation techniques including threatening to arrest the caller or stating that charges will be brought against them soon if payment is not paid right away.
According to the FBI’s statement, law enforcement and federal agencies do not call people to threaten arrest or demand money.
In 2024 alone, over 500 consumers in Massachusetts reported losing over $9 million to these frauds, according to the FBI. The FBI’s Boston Division, which serves the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, received 778 complaints involving $12,948,552 in cash damages.
Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said in a statement that these scammers are taking advantage of people’s fear and intimidation since no one wants to be the focus of a police enforcement investigation. We’re encouraging people to check who is contacting them and to avoid acting hastily because we’ve noticed a rise in these frauds.
Residents are advised to watch out for misspellings, missing words, or improper grammar in any purported correspondence purporting to be from law enforcement, as the FBI stated that scams are a recurring issue and can also happen via email.
According to the FBI, it will never:
- Call or email private citizens to demand payment, threaten arrest, or request personal or sensitive information.
- Request payment via prepaid cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency ATMs to avoid arrest.
- Ask victims to liquidate assets into cash and/or purchase gold bars, silver, or other precious metals.
- Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
- Call you about frozen Social Security numbers or inheritances.
It is advised that anyone who want to verify that they have been contacted by a real FBI agent call the Boston office at 857-386-2000 and request to speak with a direct representative.
The FBI advised being cautious when answering calls from numbers you are unfamiliar with. Never transmit money to someone you don’t know well or trust. Never give out your Social Security number or any other personal information to strangers over the phone.
Authorities advised filing a police report with your local law enforcement agency and a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) atic3.gov if you think you were the victim of a scam and lost money as a result.
At Boston.com, Dialynn Dwyer works as an editor and reporter, covering local and breaking news in Boston and New England.
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