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PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is advising individuals to be wary of individuals posing as lawyers via social media and other messaging platforms, said individuals are believed to be making efforts to further defraud cryptocurrency scam victims.

The supposed “lawyers” contact scam victims by offering their services, while also claiming to have received the victims information from the FBI, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or other government agency.

The fake lawyers then increasingly take steps to gather information from their victims, consisting of: requesting the victims to verify their personal and banking information, asking victims to pay initial fees up front, while also asking the victim to provide the amount they are seeking to be returned from the initial instance of fraud.

However, recognizing the illegitimacy of the scheme is not so simple, as the fraudulent lawyers have also taken steps to increase their credibility. Through the creation of legitimate looking websites, as well as references to financial institutions, the fake lawyers continue to make attempts to appear legitimate.

According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), between February 2023 and February 2024, cryptocurrency scam victims who were further exploited by fictitious law firms reported losses totaling over $9.9 million.

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A man says his credit card was stolen Monday and used to make nearly $7,000 worth of purchases across Portland after he left the card at a gas station pump.

The FBI advises individuals to be wary of advertisements for cryptocurrency recovery services while efforts are made to combat this issue.

Lastly, if curious about the legitimacy of who is contacting you, reach out to local law enforcement and they will investigate the crime for free. You can also contact your local FBI field office for more information or any questions you have on an individual’s affiliation to the government agency.