In response to recent scam attempts by bad actors pretending
to be with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency
published a notice warning consumers to “Beware of new CFPB impostor scams.”
The bureau said it has confirmed that scammers have been
using CFPB employees’ names to try to defraud people, specifically older
adults, by phone or video calls.
“We can’t say it enough – the CFPB will NEVER contact
you and ask you for sensitive information or to pay money,” the bureau wrote in
a blog post. “This includes never asking you to pay an upfront fee or taxes, or
telling you that you’ve won a lottery, sweepstakes, or class-action lawsuit. We
also won’t ask you for personal or sensitive information before you can cash a
check we’ve issued.”
Per the bureau, these latest phone and video scams may
include:
·
“A phone or video call or an email from an
imposter claiming to be a CFPB or other U.S. government official;
·
“Messages or calls notifying you of an
opportunity to participate in a class-action lawsuit, or that you’ve won a
lawsuit or owe money you didn’t expect;
·
“Being told you must first pay taxes or another
upfront fee to collect the money. They may continue to find ‘reasons’ for you
to pay more fees or taxes. It is all part of the scam.”
The post includes insight to help consumers identify signs
of a scam attempt via phone,
mail, email, text message/SMS, social media, messaging apps, or other online
channels, as well as in-person attempts. Specifically, the bureau urged
consumers to be wary when:
·
“You’re told you’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery
you didn’t enter, or that you’re owed money from a class-action lawsuit.
·
“You’re asked to pay upfront taxes or fees –
either foreign or domestic.
·
“You’re being pressured to act now. Scammers
don’t want you to take the time to do research or to think too carefully before
parting with your money.
·
“A person claiming to be a government official
contacts you to confirm your windfall. The emails sent may even appear to be
from real government email addresses, but if you look further, the email is not
from a ‘.gov’ email.”
Additionally, the CFPB provided the following tips for how
consumers can protect themselves from scammers:
·
“Don’t share sensitive information – Avoid
sharing Social Security numbers, account information, or credit card numbers
with people you don’t know.
·
“Never pay upfront for a promised prize –
If you’re told you must pay fees or taxes to receive a prize, it’s a scam.
·
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably
is – If someone is trying too hard or pressuring you, you can always walk
away.”
Anyone contacted by someone claiming to represent the CFPB can
verify the person’s legitimacy by calling the agency’s consumer call center at
855-411-2372 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday.