Scammers use tale of blood, cocaine to lure victims

North Vernon police are reporting new details for an old scam. According to officers, a scammer tried to get money from a resident by claiming to be from the FBI. The call sounded legitimate including a case number and official phone number.

But according to the fake agent, the resident’s car had turned up at the Mexico-U.S. border covered in blood and containing two kilos of cocaine. Police say that the scammer began aggressively trying to gain the victim’s personal information include access to her bank account. The scammer also said she was not allowed to talk to local police about the issue.

Authorities are warning that scammers can be very convincing, including using internet technology to fake phone numbers or Caller ID so they appear legitimate. Some of the signs of a scam call are that they demand immediate payment over the phone, by store gift card or by pre-paid debit card. And they will frequently threaten to have you arrested.

IF you get such a call, you should hang up and contact authorities.