Scammers are seizing on the uncertainty and worry accompanying the situation, using the opportunity to impersonate federal agencies and attempt to steal personal or financial information.
“In a shutdown, scammers see an opportunity to try to take advantage of people,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Don’t let them. Know what the signs of a scam are and report them to my office if you think you see one.”
The Attorney General’s office advises that North Carolinians may receive calls, texts, or emails from individuals falsely claiming to represent government agencies. These fraudsters may allege that the victim’s benefits are at risk unless they immediately provide personal information or make a payment. In previous shutdowns, scammers have targeted people by pretending to be from agencies like the Social Security Administration, Medicare, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Key Scam Prevention Reminders
To protect yourself and your family during this stressful time, Attorney General Jackson and the NCDOJ offer the following crucial advice:
Government Agencies Will Never:
Request personal information through email, over the phone, or by text.
Demand money through email, over the phone, or by text.
Ask for or accept payment via prepaid gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a pay app.
Don’t Answer Unknown Calls: Refrain from answering calls from phone numbers you do not recognize.
Verify Identity: Never give your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number to an unknown caller. Instead, hang up immediately and call the government agency directly using a verified number to confirm if they actually reached out. Be aware that wait times may be longer during a shutdown.
Be Suspicious of Offers: Be wary of offers for loans or payments tied to the shutdown; even if legitimate, they often come with detrimental strings attached.
Ignore Threats: Do not believe threats of arrests, lawsuits, or fines from people claiming to be from the IRS, law enforcement, or other government agencies. Government agencies will not contact you by text, phone, or email to threaten arrest.
Never Wire or Send Money: It is nearly impossible to recover money once it has been sent to a fraudster in response to an unsolicited phone call, text, email, or online message.
How to Report Scams During the Shutdown
Due to the federal shutdown, the Federal Trade Commission's national Do Not Call registry and consumer complaint submission system are currently offline. This means consumers cannot report unwanted, suspicious, or illegal robocalls or telemarketing calls to the FTC at this time.
Despite the federal system being down, the NCDOJ encourages North Carolinians to take action to protect themselves and report scams locally:
File a Complaint with the NCDOJ: Consumers can file a complaint with the NCDOJ’s Consumer Protection Division at ncdoj.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM. The NCDOJ will hold complaints and send them to the federal database when the FTC reopens.
Block Spam Calls: Call your cellphone provider and inquire about spam call-blocking apps or services. All providers should have a version of this service available at no additional charge.
Report Calls Mentioning Canada: If a suspicious call appears to originate from or mentions Canada, also contact Operation PhoneBusters, the Canadian telemarketing fraud task force, at (888) 495-8501.
WNCTimes
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