Residents of North Florida are currently being targeted by scammers impersonating government officials. Although this situation is not new, authorities are reminding the public about what to do if they happen to encounter a suspicious email, text message, or phone call from someone claiming to be government personnel, or if an unmarked government vehicle tries to pull them over, like the recent incident in San Angelo, Texas.
According to an FBI news release on February 1, Tallahassee residents have been receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be an FBI representative who comes across as extremely intimidating and aggressive, telling the victim that charges are filed against them.
The impersonators demand “settlement” money to be wired and if the victim does not pay up, they are threatened with court fees, frozen bank accounts, confiscated property, and arrest.
FBI Jacksonville Division’s Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks stated, “Nobody wants to be the subject of a law enforcement investigation, and scammers are using that knowledge to intimidate people into handing over their hard-earned money. Don’t fall for it. It’s important to resist the urge to act immediately and take time to verify who is actually contacting you.”
Legitimate federal agencies will not contact you via email or phone call to threaten you into surrendering money. Scammers have found a way to make Caller ID display the name of a true federal agency when they call.
Authorities are urging the public to immediately hang up if you answer a call of this nature, then make a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Government impersonators have been a recurrent issue. According to a Department of Justice news release in May 2021, William Roy Stone Jr., a 62-year-old retired FBI agent, was charged for convincing a woman from Granbury, TX that she was on “secret probation” regarding drug crimes.
Stone was able to get $800,000 from the victim by threatening to take her children away and send her to prison if she did not comply with his demands.
In a more recent incident on January 27, a police officer impersonator in an unmarked vehicle with strobe lights on a light bar conducted a traffic stop in San Angelo.
The man being pulled over ended up questioning the identity of the “officer,” which in turn resulted in the suspect quickly departing the scene. The victim called the local law enforcement, who contacted other agencies within the area and confirmed that the suspect was not associated with any of them.
The San Angelo Police Department shared the details of the incident in a news release, which also shared tips for the public on what to do if a vehicle that is unmarked or not easily identifiable as a government vehicle attempts to pull you over.
To verify if the situation is indeed a traffic stop, call 911. Activate the hazard lights on your vehicle while on the phone with the dispatcher and slowly approach a well-lit and populated area.
Take notice of landmarks and relay information regarding your location to the dispatcher; observe the vehicle attempting to pull you over to allow the dispatcher to forward the description to law enforcement.
Follow the dispatcher’s instructions on what to do next and remain on the phone with them until they have confirmed it is a real traffic stop.