SUFFOLK, NY — A Suffolk woman is warning others after scammers posing as Border Patrol agents threatened her with arrest and deportation during a phone call last Thursday. The woman, identified only as Annie for her safety, says the over two-hour phone call took place while she was at work.
Annie shared that the caller claimed her name and address were found on boxes of fentanyl and oxycodone intercepted at the Mexican border. They falsely said that there was a warrant out for her arrest, and Suffolk County Police would soon be notified to take her into custody. The scam escalated with threats of deportation to Mexico to face sentencing.
The caller provided details that seemed suspiciously accurate, including her home address, cell phone number, and even her work number. Annie was also told that the scammers had many copies of her driver’s license and was asked to verify the amount of money in her bank account. The scammer then instructed her to withdraw all her money and convert it into Bitcoin before they “arrested” her.
“I’m not a fearful person, but when they brought my children into it, it took a big turn,” Annie said, explaining how the situation became even more distressing. Despite the convincing information, she suspected it was a scam and immediately filed a police report.
Cybersecurity expert Adam Schwam, CEO of Sandwire, warns that such scams are common and that law enforcement will never notify someone in advance of their arrest. He advises individuals to take protective steps to safeguard their personal data. “Subscribe to a credit monitoring or identity monitoring service. It’s important to continuously change your password and always use multifactor authentication,” Schwam said.
Annie hopes that sharing her experience will help prevent others from falling victim to similar scams. “I don’t want this to happen to someone else because that would really upset me if someone else had to go through this,” she said.
Suffolk County Police have received a report about the incident and are investigating the matter. Authorities also reminded residents that law enforcement will never demand money in exchange for avoiding arrest or legal consequences. Additionally, they warned that scammers often use spoofing apps to make it appear as if they are calling from legitimate numbers.
