At least two telephone scams from people claiming to be with the Department of Homeland Security are being investigated in south central Indiana.
One scam involves someone pretending to be with the DHS who will ask the person who picks up the phone several questions. What most intended victims don’t know is that the scammer is recording their voice during the telephone conversation, according to a news release.
All the questions are an effort to get the intended victim to say the word “Yes.” If the swindler has your recorded voice saying that word, it can enable them to gain access to certain online accounts, the release states.
There are also scam artists who not only claim to be with DHS, but say they are calling on behalf of a local law enforcement agency. In some cases, the caller will threaten the intended victim with either fines or jail time if they don’t comply with what the con artist wants, according to the news release.
What makes the public especially susceptible is that DHS telephone numbers have been manipulated to make it appear the phone number on your caller ID originates from the federal department, the news release states. This technology is known as “call spoofing,” and online sources say it has been available to swindlers for several years.
“These are (scams) I’ve heard of before,” said Columbus Police information officer Lt. Matt Harris. “If you receive a call like that, you should immediately hang up the phone.”
The latest reports indicated individuals in both Nashville and Edinburgh have been receiving the latest calls.
“If they are getting calls over there (in Nashville and Edinburgh), I’m sure we’re getting them here,” Harris said.
The public should be wary of any person who uses the phone or email to claim to be from any government agency, a Homeland Security spokesman said.
“It is almost unheard of that a government will contact someone via the telephone,” said Homeland Security Investigations agent Taekuk Cho. “But if you do receive a phone call, before you give them any personal information, HSI recommends you end the call, look up the official agency phone number online and call them directly to ensure you’re speaking to a legitimate representative.”
Anyone who believes they have been an intended victim of these scams are urged to call the Department of Homeland Security Office, the Inspector General’s hotline at (800) 323-8603, or file a complaint online at www.oig.dhs.gov.
