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By: FEDweek StaffThe inspector general’s office at the SSA has again raised a warning it has sounded over the years, saying scammers “are reviving an old tactic” to gain the trust of—or to intimidate—their intended victims by impersonating federal employees.
“Scammers are emailing and texting pictures of real and doctored law enforcement credentials and badges in an attempt to ‘prove’ they are legitimate to scam people out of money. Scammers may change the picture or use a different name, agency, or badge number, but the basic scam is the same,” it said.
That has included impersonating employees of IG offices, the FBI and the Pandemic Response and Accountability Committee, it said. As with many types of scams, it said, scammers pressure the victim to act immediately and to pay in a specific way such as a money transfer or purchase of a gift card.
“Federal law enforcement agencies are warning the public to be skeptical of emails and text messages claiming to be from a government or law enforcement agency. No one in federal law enforcement will send photographs of credentials or badges to demand any kind of payment, and neither will government employees,” it said.
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