WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following an announcement by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of a new telephone scam, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are urging Maine’s seniors to remain mindful of potential and harmful scams.

“Telephone and various types of other scams have become more and more prevalent in recent years, and if successful, can be absolutely devastating for the victim,” Senator Collins and King said in a joint statement. “We urge all Maine seniors to be vigilant of these scams and remain cautious when providing personal information over the phone.”

In recent weeks, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) learned of a new telephone scam targeting USCIS applicants and petitioners. Scammers are using a technique called “Caller ID spoofing” to display a misleading or inaccurate phone number in a recipient’s Caller ID. The scammer poses as a USCIS official and requests personal information (such as Social Security number, passport number, or A-number), identifies supposed issues in the recipient’s immigration records, and asks for payment to correct these records. If you receive a call like that, Senators Collins and King strongly urge you to hang up immediately.

Within the past few months, Maine senior citizens have also been the targets of other scams, including a “Jamaican Lottery” or new car telephone scam originating from an “876” area code that is often mistaken for a toll-free number. Senator Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Senator King urge those who believe they may have been the victim of a telephone scam to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/, or report it to the Office of the Maine Attorney General.

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