MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni is warning residents about a surge in scams in which fraudsters pose as bank or government officials to steal money.
Recently, a Monterey County resident was contacted via phone and text by scammers claiming the consumer’s bank account had been compromised.
According to the DA’s office, the scammers provided the name of a District Attorney investigator to make the call seem legitimate. The scammers instructed the consumer to transfer savings to a new, fraudulent account. Caller ID was spoofed to make it appear the call came from the bank, though it did not.
“Consumers must be vigilant and take steps to confirm that anyone contacting you is who they purport to be,” Pacioni said in a news release April 2. “Fraudsters are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and can impersonate actual individuals based on information they can readily obtain from the internet.”
The DA’s office advises anyone contacted by someone claiming to represent a business or government agency to independently verify the person’s identity. This includes asking for their name and affiliation and then calling the agency directly using publicly listed contact information. Scammers may present legitimate information, such as a name or badge number, to create confusion, so it is important to confirm the call’s legitimacy.
“It is not enough to simply do a quick internet search. Instead, hang up and call the entity directly. Official government agencies should not stop you from hanging up and calling back,” the release stated.
The DA’s office noted that legitimate banks, government employees, utilities or other agencies will not instruct anyone to transfer money, buy gift cards or use cryptocurrency over the phone to resolve a warrant, bill or collections issue.
Anyone who has been the victim of a scam is encouraged to file a complaint with their local police department or the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Consumers can also alert the DA’s office by completing a complaint form on the Monterey County District Attorney’s website and emailing it to Co****************@**************ey.gov, mailing it to 1200 Aguajito Road, Suite 301, Monterey, CA 93940, or calling 831-647-7770.
