Homeland Security Imposter Scams Middleburg Resident

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — A Middleburg resident purchased numerous gift cards Nov. 22 for a person claiming to work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect told the victim that her identity was being used to illegally launder money and that to avoid arrest she needed to provide payment in the form of gift cards.

Scam artists are growing more sophisticated in their attempts to steal money from unsuspecting individuals. Criminals have found that posing as law enforcement officials is one of the most effective tools for committing fraud.

In the Middleburg case, the victim purchased the gift cards and gave the suspect the activation codes before she realized it was a scam. According to the sheriff's office, this type of scam is becoming more common across the country.

In October, as part of National Crime Prevention Month, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office kicked off a new outreach campaign to warn county residents and businesses about the dangers of money card scams. The scam often starts with a simple telephone call, with the voice on the other end of the phone claiming to be from a government agency of authority and threatens arrest if you do not pay fines owed.

The caller assures you all of this can be easily resolved if you obtain money cards from a local store and provide them with the serial numbers. These scammers falsify or "spoof" their caller ID information to appear as if the call is originating from the agency or company they are impersonating.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said the suspects often prey on a person's fears by using the appearance of authority and by threatening arrest.