A resurgence in phone scams is targeting Augusta-area residents and threatening them with arrest unless they pay a fake fine.
The U.S. Marshals Service asks the public to report these calls as soon as they occur.
The fraudsters may use a threatening tone, provide information such as badge numbers, and even mention the names of actual judges or law enforcement officers to fool the public, according to a news release from the Marshals Service for the Southern District of Georgia.
The scammers may use technology to spoof the phone numbers that appear on caller ID, it said.
In lieu of arrest for failure to appear in court, the scammers attempt to collect a fictitious fine in the form of gift cards, a phone application or other remote means.
“The proud men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service will never call a member of our community and ask for a card number, wire transfer or routing number,” said U.S. Marshal David L. Lyons.
If you have been targeted in a phone scam, hang up and report the call to the U.S. Marshals Service at (912) 645-9803, or to the FBI at its Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.
The U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Georgia has manned offices in Augusta, Brunswick and Savannah. The service, which tracks down and arrests wanted fugitives, is involved in nearly every law enforcement initiative in the district.
