The FBI has published a Public Service Announcement (PSA) detailing ongoing pervasive fraud schemes in which scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials in order to extort money or steal personally identifiable information. These threat actors commonly spoof genuine phone numbers and names and use fake credentials of well-known government and law enforcement agencies. Scammers will use an urgent and aggressive tone and refuse to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim, according to the FBI. The fraudsters demand payment in various forms, typically through prepaid cards, wire transfers, and cash sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs. Some of the common scam and scare tactics include, but are not limited to, accusing the victim of being involved in an alleged crime and then asking the victim to verify their identity, accusing the victim of not reporting for jury duty, and sending spoofed text messages from a government agency asking for passport and driver’s license information. The PSA lists several methods individuals can take to defend against this activity. To report an incident or file a complaint, visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Read the full PSA here.