Scammers Claiming to Represent State Government Agencies

CONSUMER ALERT

Look Out for Scammers Claiming to Represent State Government Agencies

Friday, September 16, 2022

Our office has received reports of phone scams in which callers claim to represent the North Carolina Department of Justice and other government agencies and officials. Remember: state government officials will not reach out to you via text or phone to threaten you with arrest or ask for your personal information.

To avoid falling victim to these scams, take the following precautions:

• Don’t respond to text messages from unknown numbers who claim to represent the North Carolina Department of Justice or any other government agency.
• Do not send money or divulge personal information to unknown contacts – even if they say that they represent the government. If you’re unsure if someone is a legitimate government official, hang up and reach out to the government agency directly using a number listed on their website.
• Be skeptical of unknown callers who claim to represent a professional licensing board. If someone unfamiliar contacts you regarding your professional licensing, hang up, look up the board’s contact information, and then contact the relevant licensing authority yourself.
• Remember, if you’re being asked to pay via gift card, it is always a scam.
• Look for red flags in messages from unfamiliar numbers or email addresses. Errors in spelling or grammar, an email that doesn’t match an agency’s government URL, vague subject lines, or pressure for immediate payment can be indicators that a message is a scam.

If you believe that you have been the victim of a scam, contact our office’s Consumer Protection Division at https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint or 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.