There are many scammers who pose as government officials in order to swindle unsuspecting individuals out of money.
In the past, we’ve warned about IRS, FTC and Social Security imposters, but in the latest reported scam, people say they are receiving emails from someone claiming to be Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
In the email, the fake Secretary of State alerts the recipient that they are owed a payment and claims that this was discovered during an FBI and CIA investigation. They go on to say the person will receive an ATM card with $1.85 million on it and even provides a phony PIN code. The catch is that they then ask individuals to provide personal information and pay a $320 fee.
Be aware of the fact that no government agency will ever instruct you to pay a fee to collect funds owed to you. Even if money was owed to you, the Secretary of State would not be sending a personal message.
If someone claiming to be from the government calls or emails you and says you’ve won a prize, owe money or you might go to jail and that the only way to get that prize, or get out of trouble, is if you make a payment right way, someone is likely attempting to scam you. Under no circumstances do you need pay them, provide them with information or even reply with a response.
What you should do is immediately contact the FTC.
