FBI Email Scam - Senior Online SafetyIt seems there is a nonstop cascade of scam after scam targeting us, and especially those of us who are seniors. The subpoena telephone call scam is not overly sophisticated, but given the number of times it reinvents itself and continues to work its way across the US, there is no doubt the criminals are having success. Some of us must be responding in a manner the criminals are able to monetize. The US Federal Grand Jury subpoena scam email is somewhat more sophisticated in comparison, and the criminals in this case were going after “high value targets.”

Do these scams really exist?

Telephone call fictitious arrest scam:

Yes! This scam comes in two flavors. Individuals are called and the individual on the other end identifies themselves as a local law enforcement or court employee, advising the receiver that they were subject to arrest for failure to comply with a jury service in federal or state courts. When the receiver reacts with surprise, the caller immediately moves to the scam phase of the call. The caller offers to have the arrest warrant reduced to a fine, if the individual wishes to pay the fine immediately. At that point the individual is asked  to provide sensitive personal information which can be used to facilitate an identity theft scenario downstream, and a credit card to cover the fine, providing an immediate payoff to the criminal.

According to the US District Court of Western District of Kentucky, variants on the above exist and are in play. The first variant, a fictitious arrest warrant is mailed directly to the target. The target is engaged when they call to verify the validity of the arrest warrant, and are induced to provide sensitive personal information and the fine.  The second variant, is a call to the target’s phone, and follows the above scenario, in this case, the Caller-Id function has been manipulated and appears to be originating from a legitimate law enforcement entity.

The aforementioned court issued this warning in December 2013:

US Court fictitious arrest warrant - Senior Online Safety

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Email US Federal Grand Jury subpoena scam:

Yes! The email Federal grand jury subpoena scam made its appearance in 2008, and was initially targeting the front offices of companies across the United States. The email, was carefully written, to include appropriate names and addresses.  The scam was designed for the targeted individual to open up the “attached” subpoena. Once opened, the malevolent software (malware) contained in the document would launch hoping to compromise the targeted individual’s machine and the penetrate any connected networks.  An example of the letter can be found below.  Such was the frequency in which executives at US companies were receiving the letters purportedly containing a US Federal Court subpoena, that the U.S. Federal Judiciary posted an alert making it clear, in no uncertain terms that “e-mails are not a valid communication from a federal court and may contain harmful links.”

US Courts Grand Jury Subpoena Scam - Senior Online Safety

If believe you have been a victim of a scam such as those described above, contact law enforcement immediately.

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