Scammers Targeting Ohioans, FBI Warns

CLEVELAND — Scammers are posing as FBI agents to rip off Ohioans.

"It is difficult for law enforcement to determine the original source of these scams as most originate overseas. Therefore, the best intervention is prevention, don’t be a victim," an FBI spokesperson said.

One of the more common scams is a con artist telling someone they have won a lottery prize, but must first pay a fee to collect their winnings. Collecting lottery winnings does not require paying any initial fees, the FBI said.

An elderly Ohio woman recently fell victim to this scam, the FBI noted, and lost $173,000 over three months. She had been promised a 2019 Mercedes and a grand prize of $2.5 million. Neither prize ever materialized.

Another common scam is con artists posing as law enforcement and demanding money for a fine or crime.

Government agencies will never call a person and demand money be wired or cash placed in the mail to pay fines, the FBI said. Ohioans should be skeptical of anyone demanding money via phone or email.

A doctor received a call saying the Department of Justice was suspending his medical license after numerous prescriptions were discovered with his name as the prescribing physician, the FBI warned. The physician was sent faxes with his bank account information (he was told it had been compromised by drug traffickers) and he then paid a fine of $188,000.

Most scammers demand payment via wire transfers or gift cards because of how difficult they are for law enforcement to trace.

"It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for law enforcement to retrieve the funds once they have been sent. Do not be a victim in the first place," the FBI said.

If you receive a call or email demanding payment for a fine, discuss the solicitation with a family member or friend, look up the agency online and look up a phone number for the listed agency. Then call the agency using a number you found (not a number provided to you). Report any suspicious solicitations online at www.ic3.gov.