10/03/2026
Yesterday, we talked about how convincing today’s scams have become. Today, one of the exact types of scams we discussed is making headlines.
The FBI is warning about criminals impersonating federal law-enforcement officers — including FBI, DEA and Secret Service agents — in an effort to steal victims’ money.
And these calls can look incredibly legitimate.
The caller may use the name of a real agent.
The phone number on your caller ID may appear to belong to a real government agency.
They may know personal information about you. Hackers sell information packets on the dark web for scammers to buy.
In some cases, scammers have even staged video calls with official-looking backgrounds, seals and people dressed to appear like federal agents.
That is exactly why we stressed this point yesterday:
A call can look official and still be a scam.
And please remember this:
A legitimate law-enforcement agency will not tell you to withdraw, transfer or send your money somewhere else so they can “protect it” or “keep it safe” for you.
If someone makes that request, stop. Do not send money. Do not rely on the phone number they give you. Look up the agency’s official number independently and call the agency yourself to verify what is happening.
Thank you again to Detective Theresa Palmer with the Suffolk County Police’s Financial Crimes Unit, Councilwoman Theresa Mari, the residents of Huntington and the Huntington Senior Center for being part of yesterday’s Financial Crimes and Identity Theft Seminar and for helping make conversations like this possible.
Education is one of the best defenses we have against fraud.
We will continue working to educate you, keep you informed and connect you with resources that can help protect you and your family - so you can focus on living your best life.
Please share this with someone you care about. One conversation may prevent someone from becoming the next victim.