Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, AugusT 1, 2025 FBI Boston Warns New Englanders to Beware of Law Enforcement and Government Impersonation Scams Federal agencies do not threaten individuals or demand immediate payment T he FBI Boston Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers targeting New Englanders through unsolicited telephone calls in which the caller claims to be a representative of well-known law enforcement and government agencies, including the FBI, to extort money or steal personally identifi able information. Be advised, law enforcement and federal agencies do not call individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even if they appear to be coming from an agency’s legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call. The tactics used by scammers continually change, but often share many of the same characteristics, including the utilization of intimidation tactics. Typically, the scammers will use an urgent tone, advise the recipient of the call that charges have been, or will soon be, fi led against them, and threaten to confi scate the recipient’s property, freeze their bank accounts, or have them arrested unless payment is made immediately. If the recipient questions the caller, the caller becomes more aggressive. The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees or court costs to resolve the matter, and the caller typically instructs people to wire “settlement” money or provide payment via prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, and cash, sent by mail or inserted into cryptocurrency ATMs to avoid arrest. The scammer may also tell the victim to keep the matter secret from family and friends. A rare opportunity for first-time homebuyers to own an affordable condo in Malden! o own an affordable Affordable Homes for Sale in Malden! omes alden!!n!ldeenalden omes alden! ome Scan QR to apply APPLY ONLINE OR IN PERSON How to apply www.tndinc.org 4 Gerrish Ave Rear, Chelsea, MA 02150 Applications also available by mail or email. WHO CAN APPLY: First-Time Homebuyers Meet income & asset limits (see AMI chart) Assets must be under $75K for 80% AMI households. Assets must be under $150K for 100% AMI households. Restrictions Apply – Units have resale and use restrictions Questions or Accommodations? Call Winn Management: 617-884-0692 | TTY: 800-439-2370 CHECK INCOME LIMITS & PRICES BY HOUSEHOLD SIZE Please note: Deadline: Must be postmarked by October 2, 2025 mes 5 Newly Built Affordable Condos rdable Condos AVAILABLE BY LOTTERY pply APPLICATION PERIOD: Dates July 7, 2025 - October 2, 2025 INFO SESSIONS Where: Malden City Hall August 5, 2025 6PM September 4, 2025 6PM Lottery Date Thursday, October 16, 2025 (Attendance not required) “These fraudsters are capitalizing on fear and intimidation because nobody wants to be the subject of a law enforcement investigation,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We’ve seen an increase in these scams which is why we’re reminding the public to resist the urge to act immediately and verify who is actually contacting you.” According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 17,367 people reported being victims of government impersonation scams in 2024, with losses totaling $405,624,084. Here in the Boston Division, which includes all of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, 778 complaints were fi led with fi nancial losses totaling $12,948,552. • 98 victims in Maine reported losing $1,643,432. • 507 victims in Massachusetts reported losing $9,511,181. • 106 victims in New Hampshire repor ted losing $1,646,059. • 67 victims in Rhode Island reported losing $147,880. The FBI will never: • Call or email private citizens to demand payment, threaten arrest, or request personal or sensitive information. • Request payment via prepaid cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency ATMs to avoid arrest. • Ask victims to liquidate assets into cash and/or purchase gold bars, silver, or other precious metals. 272 Cross Street LLC and Winn Management do not discriminate because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, handicap, disability, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, children, familial status, marital status or public assistance recipiency in the sale or transfer of apartment units, buildings, and related facilities, including land that they own or control. Visit Our Website for more info www.tndinc.org Equal Housing Opportunity • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal. • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or inheritances. Scams impersonating the FBI and other government agencies are a persistent problem and can also occur via email. Common hallmarks of a scam email include misspellings, missing words, and incorrect grammar. Fraudulent emails may give the appearance of legitimacy by using pictures of the FBI Director and/or the FBI seal and letterhead. Members of the public seeking to confi rm that they have been contacted by an actual FBI employee are encouraged to call the FBI Boston Division at 857-386-2000 and ask to be connected directly. To avoid becoming a victim of this scam, be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize. Do not send money to anybody you do not personally know and trust. Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know. If you think you are a victim of this scam and suff ered a fi - nancial loss, cease all contact with the scammers immediately, notify your fi nancial institutions and safeguard any fi - nancial accounts. Contact your local law enforcement agency and fi le a police report, and fi le a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. Be sure to keep any fi nancial transaction information, including prepaid cards and banking records, along with all telephone, text, or email communications. All types of fraud schemes and scams (even if there is no financial loss) should be reported to IC3. Filing a complaint allows analysts from the FBI to identify leads and patterns from the hundreds of complaints that are received daily. The IC3 then refers the complaints, along with their analyses, to the relevant law enforcement agency to aid in public awareness and crime prevention education eff orts.
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