The FBI is warning healthcare workers across the U.S. they may be targeted by scammers impersonating law enforcement officials who will attempt to extort money from them.
The warning, issued Aug. 22, noted an ongoing risk of widespread fraud schemes in which scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials to extort money or steal personally identifiable information.
Scammers associated with wider criminal networks research background information on intended targets through official websites and social media and supplement that information with commonly found social media information to appear legitimate. Additionally, scammers spoof authentic phone numbers and names while using fake credentials from well-known government agencies.
Victims are told they were subpoenaed to provide expert witness testimony in a criminal or civil court case. They are told they are in violation of the subpoena since they did not appear in court, and they have been held in contempt with an arrest warrant issued for them.
Victims are often told if they pay a court fine, they will no longer be held in contempt. Scammers reinforce this information with an urgent and aggressive tone paired with scare tactics, like claiming that the victim is already under surveillance and the arrest warrant will be executed by an early morning police raid.
Scammers demand payment in various forms such as prepaid cards, wire transfers, cash sent by mail, or converted into cryptocurrency ATMs. If victims pay, a new reason to send funds is introduced, such as additional court costs, etc.
Law enforcement or government officials will never contact members of the public or medical practitioners by telephone to demand any form of payment or to request personal or sensitive information. Individuals should always ask for credentials to validate identity. Furthermore, no legitimate law enforcement or government official will request payments via prepaid cards or cryptocurrency ATM.
Individuals can report suspected scammers by filing a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.