The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has issued a warning about ongoing phone scams in which callers falsely claim to represent the Department of Justice. According to the office, these scammers are primarily targeting individuals with immigration concerns, often mentioning visa status and threatening retaliation if their demands are not met.
During these fraudulent calls, victims may be asked for personal information such as their address or current location. The scammers frequently use techniques to make themselves seem credible, including spoofing phone numbers so that caller ID displays what appears to be an official government agency number.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that it will never ask individuals to disclose their exact location, request details about immigration status, or issue threats or warnings of “consequences” for failing to comply with demands. Additionally, the office stated: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also never demand payment of any kind, including by gift card, and it will never ask you for your credit card number. Such requests are often made by scammers.”
People who receive suspicious calls from someone claiming to be from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are advised to hang up and contact the office directly at 315-448-0672 to verify legitimacy. While scammers can manipulate outgoing calls so they appear to come from this official number, they cannot answer incoming calls made to it.
Suspected scam incidents can also be reported through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/.
