Scammers are trying to make victims believe that a real investigation is taking place, officials said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned residents of El Paso, Texas, about phishing email letters sent by scammers posing as the bureau. They reportedly ask recipients to pay in cryptocurrency, leading people to think they have been victims of identity theft.
According to the El Paso TimesThis scam is multi-process as bad actors do not try to get victims to pay them funds in the first letter, but instead try to gain trust first.
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One of the letters titled “ABOUT YOUR IDENTITY THEFT CASE” had the forged signature of FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John S. Morales and included a blue agency seal. However, officials stressed that the agency has never used the logo. The letter states that the victim’s bank account is under suspicion by US Customs and Border Patrol.
While the first letter does not request any payment, officials say the scammers will send another email or even call the victim on the phone asking them to send money or cryptocurrency via a QR code. The agency asks anyone who receives the letter to ignore it or delete it from the email.
This is far from the first time the FBI has alarmed users about shady cryptocurrency-related fraudulent activity on the internet. In early August 2023, the agency issued a warning to potential buyers of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), saying they should be wary of fake websites that use “drain smart contracts” to steal crypto wallets.
In May 2023, the FBI also warned of increasing labor trafficking as criminals exploit fake job advertisements to lure victims to fraud complexes based in Southeast Asia, where they are forced to participate in fraudulent operations of investment in cryptocurrencies.
