U.S. Marshals: Report Phone Scams
Spoofers using government phone numbers, government employees' names,
demanding payment via bitcoin ATMs
For immediate release
MAY 06, 2024
Were you contacted by someone pretending to be a U.S. marshal? Report it to the local FBI office and
Federal Trade Commission.
Las Vegas, NV - The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Federal Bureau of Inves�ga�on (FBI) are
aler�ng the public of several na�onwide impostor scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals,
court officers, or other law enforcement officials. They are urging people to report the calls their local FBI
office and file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the ability to
detect paterns of fraud from the informa�on collected and share that data with law enforcement.
During these calls, scammers atempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest due to a claim of iden�ty the�, failing
to report for jury duty, or other offenses. They then tell vic�ms they can avoid arrest by withdrawing cash
and transferring it to the government, purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gi�
card and read the card number over the phone to sa�sfy the fine, or by deposi�ng cash into bitcoin ATMs.
Scammers use many tac�cs to sound and appear credible. They some�mes provide informa�on like badge
numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They
may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller IDs as if they are calling from a government agency
or the court.
If you believe you were a vic�m of such a scam, you are encouraged to report the incident to your local
FBI offices and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Things to remember:
• The U.S. Marshals Service WILL NEVER ask for credit/debit card/gi� card numbers, wire transfers,
or bank rou�ng numbers, or to make bitcoin deposits for any purpose.
• NEVER divulge personal or financial informa�on to unknown callers.
• Report scam phone calls to your local FBI offices and to the FTC.
• You can remain anonymous when you report.
• Authen�cate the call by calling the clerk of the court's office of the U.S. District Court in your area
and verify the court order given by the caller.
