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A McMinn County man lost tens of thousands of dollars in a recent scam where he received a call from a scammer posing as a Federal agent. According to Sheriff Joe Guy, an elderly man reported that he had been contacted around the middle of March on a phone call from an individual who claimed to be an agent with US Customs and Border Patrol.

The “agent” told the victim that a large amount of money and drugs had been seized at the southern US border that included information connecting the victim to the drugs and money. The victim was told that unless he paid a deposit of money, the US government would “freeze all of his assets”.

“The elderly victim is currently caring for a sick spouse, so was very vulnerable. The scammer even sent him a photo of an actual Customs Agent, along with a picture of a Federal ID. It was very convincing,” said Sheriff Guy. “The scammer kept the victim on the phone as he went to several banks and withdrew a large amount of cash, which under the direction of the scammer, he placed in a shoe box. It was then that the incident became very disturbing.”

According to Sheriff Guy, a separate scammer came to the victim’s driveway in what he described as a black sedan and took the shoebox of money. “That was something we’ve not seen before,” said Sheriff Guy. “But we have since discovered through the FBI that a similar scam involving a scammer coming to a residence and picking up money has occurred in other locations such as Kentucky and Louisiana.” Sheriff Guy stated that while his officers continue to look into the matter, such cases are extremely difficult to prosecute and get money back to the victims.

“The scammers have call centers, often in other countries. They are calling the victim from there while at the same time employing a “bag man” who drives to the area where the victim lives and picks up the money. Sheriff Guy said victims are often taken in because the scammer seems to know so much about them. He and other authorities believe that when information is stolen from computer records at places such as hospitals, retirement systems, and other businesses the information like names, addresses, and social security numbers is sold to scammers, who use the information to pretend they know everything about the victim. “We’ve seen variations of this scam where the caller or email claims it is from Customs and Border Patrol, the US Attorney General’s Office, FBI, IRS, and other Federal agencies,” said Sheriff Guy.

“I’ve seen many smart people drawn in by these scams and lose thousands upon thousands of dollars.” Sheriff Guy wants people to be aware and do the following if you receive a similar call or email:

1. Hang up and call local law enforcement immediately. Local authorities can often tell a person immediately if they are being scammed. If you are elderly, you should also notify a family member.

2. No Federal, state, or local agencies ask for money or payment of fines over the phone. Do not give money or personal information out until you have spoken to law enforcement.

3. Do not continue to speak to the caller or e-mailer. The more you engage them, the greater risk you have of being scammed. “Every citizen receives these calls, especially elderly citizens. I’ve gotten the Border Patrol call myself, among others. I don’t trust any phone call or email, and even the ones that seem believable I check on with someone else, just to be sure. We need to be looking out for each other, because the scammers don’t care.” Press Release via Joe Guy, Sheriff, McMinn County