FRAUD ALERT: Stay Ahead of Commonly Reported Scams

Published on December 18, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is providing information about commonly reported scams and is cautioning the community to remain alert when receiving unsolicited calls, emails or text messages. ACPD is raising awareness about these scams and sharing tips to help keep your personal information and finances safe.

Scam #1: The Outstanding Warrant and Jury Duty Scams

Scammers will pose as local law enforcement and contact victims accusing them of failing to appear for jury duty and stating a warrant for their arrest will be issued unless a fine is paid. Payment is often requested in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency or digital cash transfers.

As a reminder, ACPD and the Sheriff’s Office will never call, email or text to solicit funds or collect fines over the phone. Additionally, juror summonses are sent through the mail and communication through any other method should be considered suspicious.

Legitimate government agencies and businesses will also not call individuals and demand immediate payment in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) or digital cash transfers. Any unsolicited contact that puts you in fear, requests you to act quickly or states there is an emergency requiring you to provide funds or personal identifiable information is likely a scam.

Scam #2: Federal Agent Impersonation Scam

Scammers will call potential victims and pose as federal law enforcement agents in an attempt to extort money or steal their personal identifiable information. There are variations of this scam, among them, that the victim’s name was used to rent a vehicle which was stopped by law enforcement and contains blood and/or a large quantity of drugs. The scammer then has the victim verify their social security number or tells the victim their bank account has been compromised. In some cases, the scammer threatens the victim with arrest for the fictional drug seizure and instructs them to send money in the form of Bitcoin, a gift card or wire transfer to pay a “fine” or to assist with the investigation or with resetting the bank account.

Scam #3: Missed Delivery/Non-Delivery Notification

With the holidays upon us, many are shopping online for the perfect gift. Beware of fake delivery notification emails or text messages alerting you of a missed package delivery. Think twice before clicking on the link provided in a text or email, as it may direct you to a phishing website designed to steal your information. Make sure you pay attention to the domain address of the link to ensure it is a reputable delivery site and be especially cautions with delivery websites that ask for your personal or payment information to complete a package delivery.

Emerging Scam: Brushing

ACPD is aware of information circulating online about the brushing scam. While there have been no reports of this scam in Arlington County, ACPD is sharing information so community members can spot, avoid, and report any potential incidents.

The brushing scam involves someone receiving an unexpected package from an online retailer or company with an item they did not order. The package will have the recipient's address, but it will not include the sender's information. The package will reportedly contain a QR code the recipient is asked to scan to find out who sent the gift. QR code scams are designed to redirect individuals to phishing websites that will ask you for and steal your personal information.

For additional information on QR scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice website.

Fraud Crime Prevention Tips

Reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a scam by following these crime prevention tips:

• Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, texts or emails.
• Be cautious of mimicked telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Even if the information displayed on the caller ID appears the same as a law enforcement or government agency, hang up and call the agency directly to verify the caller’s legitimacy.
• Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify their credibility.
• Never give money or personal information to someone with whom you don't have ties and did not initiate contact with.
• Don’t click on links from unsolicited emails or text messages.
• Take your time and trust your instincts: if an unknown caller makes you uncomfortable or says things that don't sound right, hang up.

Remain fiscally secure by following these practices:

• Track and review your bank and credit card statements for irregular activity.
• Avoid unusual payment methods. No government agency or legitimate business will instruct you to resolve your debt using a payment method such as Bitcoin, money wires, cash app, mailed cash or gift cards where the identification numbers are provided over the phone.
• Do not respond to e-mails or text messages requesting you to “confirm,” “update,” or “provide” account information.

Report Scams

If you find that you were a target or victim of a scam, please file an online police report or call the Alternative Reporting Unit at 703-228-4300.

Please note: the information provided in this press release is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible scams currently circulating. Individuals seeking additional information about fraud are encouraged to visit our financial crimes information webpage.