Fake Calls from U.S Customs and Border Protection

Have you received any calls claiming to be U.S Customs and Border Protection and that they have intercepted drugs or money shipments being sent to you? This is a scam and cybercriminals latest ploy to get you to act and share your personal information with them. This personal information includes social security numbers, banking information, addresses, etc.

In this scam, cybercriminals will call you claiming to be U.S Customs and that they need you to confirm your personal details with them so they can rule you out of this case. They will even threaten you if you decline to give this information by saying you will arrested if you don’t.

Cybercriminals will try to build your trust and make you think this is a legit case by giving actual U.S Customs' officer names, employees, badge numbers and case numbers. These can be accessed easily online for anyone to see and is how cybercriminals were able to obtain them. Some of these scams even have a number attached to it that takes you to a recording from cybercriminals that will direct you to a fake officer to talk about this interception.

The U.S Customs and Border Protection have put out many notices warning people that they will never call you and ask for personal information or request money.

Tips:

• Never give personal information or banking information over the phone! You never know who you could be talking to.
• If you believe something could be true from a phone call, hang up the phone, go to the official website on a trusted browser and call someone from there to verify.
• Remember that U.S Customs and Border Protection will not ask you to verify personal information or make you pay over the phone.
• Be cautious how things are worded! Cybercriminals want to freak you out in order for you to perform an action. Think before giving any of your information out!

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