Federal Crimes of Investigation Office - scam phone call
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 3:05PM 
Funny story. Just as I was leaving to meet a friend for lunch today I got a call from a number I didn't recognize in Washington state - 206-259-6363. A man with an Indian (perhaps Pakistani) accent told me he was an officer from the Federal Crimes of Investigation Office and that I needed to give him all my personal information to verify my identity.
"I'm sorry, the federal what?" I asked
"The Federal Crimes of Investigation Office," he repeated, "And this is very serious, so you need to give me all of your information immediately or be arrested in the next 24 hours."
"Um, no."
"Ma'am, don't make this worse. I already have your social security number, xxx-xx-xxxx." (Which was actually my social security number.)
"Actually, you give me all your personal information and I will call back to verify you are who you say you are," I irritably demanded back."What is your badge number?"
"My badge number is 72."
"Your badge number is seventy-two?! Oh really. And what is your name?"
"My name is Officer Sam Smith. The Federal Crimes of Investigation Office is a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"OK, Officer Sam Smith with badge number 72, I'll get back to you after I've had a word with the FBI."
I hung up on him. Then I dialed back the area code 206 number he called me from thinking it would be a spoofed number, and to my surprise, he answered the phone.
"Are you kidding me with this, you really think I'm falling for this?"
"Don't make this worse ma'am, you are in very big trouble, I have a signed affidavit here saying you are guilty of wire fraud and our state doesn't take that lightly."
"Oh really? Wire fraud, from your office in Washington state ... not Washington, D.C., correct?"
"Yes, and if you do not cooperate, I will next call your bank and freeze your assets and you won't be able to withdraw one penny."
"Well, I compliment you on your English, but go screw yourself," I replied as he hung up on me.
I then looked up the number for the local New York FBI office and was transferred to an officer who was very nice. The FBI agent said, "No, that is a scam, don't give him any information at all." I told him that's what I suspected, but that the man -- er, I'm sorry, Officer Sam Smith -- had my actual social security number. "Oh, well, you should call the Social Security Administration right away and let them know somebody has it."
The entire time I was on the phone, I received incoming calls from the number "911."
After giving the phone number and information, I hung up with the actual FBI and called back the fake FCIO 'officer.'
"I've just spoken with the FBI and reported everything you've done today, they say it's a scam."
"Ma'am, this is not a scam."
"And I don't have time for this, good luck with that."
Once I hung up he never called back. But, sigh, now I have to report that my social security number has been stolen to the credit bureaus, the SSA, and who knows who else.
At least lunch was really good.
For more on identitfy theft and other scams like this, the FBI has an information page here.
You can also submit an online tip to the FBI here if you've been victimized.
Reader Comments (118)
the 325-269-0063 in TX Alex Miller and his boss's name was Thomas lee
I got an email from someone named Bob Carner ( this guy had an middle eastern accent) saying that I had outstanding payday loans that I had not payed and that they were taking me to court. SO I called and asked who were the payday loans with and he wouldn't tell me the name of the company for "legal" purposes. And I told him to give me the information, he had my actual SSN but started yelling at me so I hung up. I then called back to get a fax number and mailing address and he starts telling me to expect a subpoena and to wait to go to court and have the 8,000 that I owe them with me. And that if I didn't have the money with me in court then be ready to spend 8-9 months in jail. So I again asked him for a fax number and he told me that I am a little piece of shit..so I ended up hanging up.
This is the contact information that was listed in the email:
Bob Carner
Number: (214) 785-4568
Email : federalcrimeinvestigation.department@outlook.com
Alfred Robinson
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Received one of this scam calls today from number: 631-266-3687
some indian-accent guy claiming to be part of the "criminal investigation department"... funny enough he said they were based in California and the number is from NY, so I told him, no his number is from New York. I kept making him talk to get more information, they also threaten to send the cops to arrest me, etc etc... I called from a different number and he proceeded to ask me the number I was called to... I am not sure how much information they have, but they surely have my personal cell phone which I am not happy about...
My guy said he was an officer at the Federal Investigation Bureau. His number was 646-583-1335. 0fficer Mark Thomas. Heavy accent.
The lovely Officer Steven Jones from the Federal Crime Investigation Dept. contacted me at work today. He's been harassing me for some time now. He said there is a legal complaint against me and my identity. His contact number is 646-798-8532. I want to call him back and find out what personal information he has on me such as my SS#. Has anyone experienced identity left after getting these calls?
BUY AN AIRHORN! Keep pressing redial and when they answer IRS let them have it! These phoney IRS agents with their thick Jamaican accents will be in the emergency room and with any luck they'll never call back because they will be deaf! They come uninvited into our homes to steal, using the phones we pay for to gain access to us, harass us and intimidate us into giving them our hard earned cash. They didn't get mine but they scam plenty of people who don't know any better. If they physically came to rob our houses, we could legally shoot them. They are cowards, thinking that nothing can happen to them if they call on the phone. Let's join forces to protect our assets and give them a message LOUD and clear. BUY AN AIRHORN and keep it by the phone for all The fake IRS agents and the other scam artists out there.
When you travel to out skirts of a city in remote none-English speaking countries you come across folks that could not put 2 English words (never mind sentences) together.
This was the way my Female Federal Investigative Services agent calling from a 904 638 5963 number sounded like. strugglingly clearly reading off of a script when she called my cell on May, 19th, 20fh, 21st, stalking my phone for three days in a row, leaving voice mails (3) introducing herself as Sarah Wilson...
I would have preferred Sarah Connor...so perhaps in my imaginary T2 universe I coulld imagine a red dot on her firehead (not the religious dot and rather a red Laser beam) while she was harrassing my phone.
Now I wonder whether similar to Kim's situation these scammers also have my SSN. The scripted messages which I am contemplating to forward to my legal team were inept sounding and yet threatening.
i just recieved a letter in my gmail inbox from eclerk llc demanding that i pay thim 1200 dollars because of some loan i supposedly took out. i googled eclerk llc and it is an indian based company specializing in corporate communications. I emailed them and told them to send me the orginal loan documents. i dont expect a reply.
guys i am from india and got a call from US number: 6467132987. The guy had Indian/Pakistani accent and pretended to call from a telephone company in US. He wanted me to hold on the phone as they were testing my number for something. I asked him his name and he told me an Indian name: Swami or something.. He was interested that i just hold on the call till the time he do the phone "testing". i immediately cut the call off and switched off the mobile as this could have been a phone jacking! I am not sure if the bastard took away any personal information (passwords etc) by that time. Searched on net and landed up on this page. Considering to go to local police cyber crime cell now. :(
Got two calls TODAY from our IRS. 202-506-9631 & 206-899-6310, WOW, I,m in deep dodo. Ha,ha,ha
I got a call from 614-334-9443 they had my SS# and my home address. demanded i send them 400 or there will be a warrant out for my arrest
I actually got a email. Claiming what was owed and if not paid charges would be filed. Then I tried to email them back and it comes back as a invalid email address.
I just received a call from some guy with an Indian accent telling me that I was under federal investigation and if I didn’t call back within 24hrs, my case would be handed over to federal court. He said his name was Shawn Connelly and he worked for the Federal Dept of Investigation. ( This was all left in a message. I didn’t take the call since I didn’t recognize the number) There is no such dept within the federal gov’t. I went online and pulled up the scam that was reported by other people and there was a link to the FBI (I verified) and I reported the scam. Just to let you know. They knew my name. DON’T GIVE ANY PERSONAL INFO OVER THE PHONE.
The number "Shawn Connelly" called from: 904-638-5205 from the Jacksonvill FL area.
03/23/16
got a call from 202-684-6606 that i was being investigated because i filed my taxes wrong. told them this is a scam and i am recording this to take to the FBI. also mentioned it's illegal to impersonate authorities. i was called a b**ch and hung up on. googled the contact # and found this:
202-684-6606
Bibi Miramontes
Tunlaw Rd NW, Washington, District of Columbia
I received a call from 240 330 6409 another federal investigations scam ,telling me I will be arrested because I have problems with the IRS.
Someone called from Washington DC 202-239-0059
Saying that my state indentity is under federal infesstigation and to call back, not to disregard her message. No accent.
I blocked her # :-)
Received a call from an East Indian guy from phone number 240-200-9704. He left a message that he was from the "federal Investigation Department"...(no such thing) He actually had my real name, I am sure he got it from either Career Builder or Monster Board. He claimed that there is a court case that will be filed, if I don't call him back.....Yeah, sure...I wonder how many idiots fall for this...DONT
Wow, here it is 2017 and they are still using this scam with this number...