On May 29, 2024, the OCC issued an alert warning against a scam using the name of OCC. According to the OCC, consumers have reported receiving various forms of fictitious correspondence via email, Google Chat, and the U.S. Postal Service related to up-front fee scams involving fictitious inheritance or beneficiary payouts.
According to the OCC’s alert, scammers send out notifications that appear to be initiated by senior officials of the OCC regarding funds purportedly held by the OCC. The scammers then initially collect personal information including name, address, and telephone number. In the succeeding correspondence, scammers request for more specific personal information including, but not limited to Social Security number, bank account details, and copies of driver’s licenses and passports. Correspondence is generally poorly written with typographical and grammatical errors and may include instructions for the victim to pay thousands of dollars in required fees or taxes for the release of the supposedly held funds. There are at least four known variations of this scam.
Read the OCC’s alert here.