Special to Iredell Free News

U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray issued an alert Thursday, warning the public of potential scammers seeking to obtain personal information by claiming to be with the Justice Department.

 “Watch out for imposters claiming to be Justice Department representatives, attempting to obtain personal information that can be used to perpetrate fraud. It is particularly disturbing that scammers appear to be targeting older adults, though everyone can be potentially victimized,” Murray said. “I caution the public to remain extra vigilant against these imposter schemes. If you are contacted, do not disclose any personal information and report the scam by calling the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-Fraud-11, or 1-833-372-8311.”

Reports to the National Elder Fraud Hotline indicate these scammers falsely represent themselves as Department of Justice investigators or employees, and attempt to obtain personal information from the call recipient, or they leave a voicemail with a return phone number. The return phone number directs callers to a recorded menu that matches the recorded menu for the Justice Department’s main phone number. Eventually, the caller reaches an “operator” who steers the caller to someone claiming to be an investigator. That “investigator” then attempts to gain the caller’s personal information.

Those who receive imposter calls are cautioned against providing any personal information. If contacted, please file a report with:

♦ The Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-Fraud-11 (1-833-372-8311).
♦ The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their website or by calling 877–FTC–HELP (877-382-4357).
♦ The FBI, for law enforcement action at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud.

The National Elder Fraud hotline was created for the public to report fraud against individuals who are age 60 or older. The hotline is open seven days a week. For more information about the hotline, please visit https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.