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FTC Warns of Scam Calls Threatening to Deactivate Your Phone Number
Scammers pose as police and government officials to demand money, personal IDs and secrecy, while the FTC says it never threatens arrest or phone disconnection.
- The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert Thursday about a new imposter scam where fraudsters pretending to be FTC employees claim victims' phone numbers are linked to overseas crimes and threaten deactivation.
- Scammers claim that bad actors registered a separate phone using the victim's number for nefarious purposes, then 'transfer' targets to fake police officers to file a fraudulent 'report' and collect personal data.
- After collecting personal information and IDs, imposters demand a 'security deposit' to resolve the alleged crimes, later threatening targets with arrest for nonexistent offenses committed using their phone number.
- Real FTC employees never threaten to disconnect phone numbers, ask for money, or request secrecy; the agency encourages victims to report these interactions to ReportFraud.
- Combatting these cons is a 'Whack-a-Mole' game, but the FTC maintains that ignoring unexpected calls from strangers remains the safest way to avoid victimization.
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12 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution92% Center
Bias Distribution
- 92% of the sources are Center
92% Center
C 92%
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