Scammers use Rexburg officer’s name in fake FBI scam

Rexburg police said at least one person has fallen victim to a scam in which the scammers pretend to be FBI agents and ask for money.

Police said the fake FBI agent called an elderly Madison County woman and told her she’d won a large sum of money from Publisher’s Clearing House. The scammer then said there had been a mixup and offered to help the woman claim her prize money – for a fee.

“‘In order for me to get that money back for you, because of tax purposes and fees and stuff, it’s going to cost $1,500 for us to retrieve this money,'” Lt. Ron Ball said the scammers told the woman.

Ball said the scammers even used his name to make the scam appear legitimate.

“They then call back the victim and say, ‘This is Lt. Ball. I’ve been working with the FBI on this. I’m here to tell you that this is a legit deal,'” said Ball.

The woman paid the $1,500 using a Green Dot card.

She eventually called police, but they said they have no way of recovering the money.

“The FBI is not going to call you and tell you that. If the FBI wants to talk to you about something like that, they’re going to pay you a visit,” said Ball.

Ball said to never pay people you don’t know with money orders or prepaid cards.