Don’t Fall for These Common Phone Scams in Texas

The State of Texas has warned all citizens that telephone scammers are continuing to target residents in order to gain personal information. The scammers claim they are from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and they are in need of info in order to conduct their work.

Phone Scammers in Texas

CBP said on June 10 that it has been receiving a higher-than-normal rate of calls from concerned citizens saying they were just contacted by those they believe are scammers.

CBP warned all Texans that they will never ask for money or Social Security Numbers via phone calls, messages, and/or emails. They will also never threaten Texans into submission by saying they'll be arrested over the phone.

Common Phone Scams in Texas

A common tactic that scammers use is claiming that they have a large shipment of drugs with the caller's name on them and that police officers are on their way to their home unless they pay a fee.

CBP includes a list of things that all Texans should keep in mind if they feel that they are being scammed either by phone or by email:

• CBP won't call you randomly and promise to pay you or threaten you with arrest or fines. If a "CBP officer" asks for any banking info or your Social Security Number, hang up
• CBP will never use gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers
• Caller ID can be deceiving and must not always be trusted
• Always check with CBP personally to verify a phone number or message is valid, and never call back numbers you don't fully trust

How to Prevent Falling Victim to Scams

If you want to check that a phone call or a text message is valid, you can always search the agency name online and navigate to their contact page. This way you can get in contact with a legitimate agent who can answer any questions you may have.

All phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission website.