Robocall Scam Alert in Monterey County

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni is warning Monterey County residents of telephone scams using robocalls that impersonate government agencies. Most recently, an automated robocall alerts the listener that they need to “stop what they are doing” and contact the “Legal Department” at “CBP,” likely in reference to Customs and Border Patrol. The call then alerts the listener to a menu to proceed further. Consumers receiving automated calls like this should hang up immediately. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a government official and that seems suspicious, ask for their name and agency and then call that agency back at its confirmed number. Please be aware that legitimate city, county, state, and federal officials will never call you to demand immediate payment of money. You can report illegal robocalls to the FTC at https://www.donotcall.gov/report.html. Please note the number on your caller ID and any number you are told to call back, along with the time and date of the call, which will help the FTC track down the scammers behind the call. Even if you think the number on your caller ID is fake, report it. The FTC analyzes complaint data and trends to identify illegal callers based on calling patterns.