June 20, 2023
Imposter scams are on the rise, with crooks impersonating people of authority to dupe victims into turning over money or personal information.
Valeria Haedo, a New York City resident, was recently the victim of an impostor fraud. Haedo received a call from someone purporting to be US Customs and Border Protection Officer Robert Daniels. The caller stated that Haedo was wanted and accused her of engaging in illicit activities. Haedo attempted to check the caller’s identity online and discovered matching information, leading her to trust him.
The impersonator proceeded to accuse Haedo of crimes and enlisted the assistance of another individual, Officer Thomas Michael O’Connor of the United States Marshals Service in Texas. They stated she had been the victim of identity theft and urged her to safeguard her identity and bank account. Later, Haedo was instructed to remove a huge sum of money and convert it to digital currency. She got suspicious and resisted, and the scammers threatened to freeze her bank account if she did not cooperate. Haedo hung up after three hours, and the next day she found her bank account was secure.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the FBI have all issued advisories that they will never conduct unsolicited calls asking money. While the Federal Communications Commission has produced YouTube videos and instructional materials to assist the public in recognizing caller ID spoofing.
The sources for this piece include an article in NPR.
