June 7, 2021
NBAA is passing along a warning from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) alerting members to be aware of people calling private residents and businesses claiming to be with CBP in an attempt to gain banking information.
CBP said these unsolicited calls include a pre-recorded message saying: “A box of drugs and money being shipped has your (resident’s) name on it and it has been intercepted.” According to CBP, the person receiving the call is told to press No. 1 to speak with a CBP officer or agent, who then asks for the banking information.
“These calls are telephone scams/voice phishing attempts. Residents are urged not to provide the caller with any information,” the CBP said. “The Department of Homeland Security and CBP do not solicit money over the telephone. Residents who receive such calls should make note of the number and any other pertinent details about the call, immediately hang up, and report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”
Doug Carr, NBAA senior vice president, safety, security, sustainability and international operations, urged members to never give out confidential information, including banking information, to anyone saying they are with CBP or any other government body.
“Much like the case with the IRS, official business with the CBP is not going to take place via an unsolicited telephone call,” Carr said. “Operators should view any phone call from the CBP as skeptically as they would from the IRS.”
Carr also urged members to report such calls to the Federal Trade Commission.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.