Washington D.C. – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a public warning today regarding a surge in imposter scams targeting victims of prior financial fraud. Scammers are falsely claiming affiliation with the CFTC Office of Inspector General, preying on individuals already harmed by investment schemes.
According to the CFTC, these imposters are contacting members of the public with promises to recover lost funds allegedly held in foreign bank accounts. This offer is, in fact, a further attempt to defraud victims, extracting more money under the guise of restitution.
The CFTC is adamant that its Office of Inspector General *never* proactively contacts individuals offering to recover funds lost to investment scams. This is the core of the agency’s warning to the public. Any unsolicited communication making such an offer should be considered fraudulent.
The agency advises anyone contacted by a suspected imposter to gather as much information as possible – including phone numbers, email addresses, and any identifying details – without divulging any personal or financial information. Specifically, individuals should not share account numbers, Social Security numbers, or private keys for digital wallets. The call should be terminated immediately.
The CFTC also cautioned against email scams, emphasizing that all legitimate communications originate from addresses ending in “@cftc.gov.” Government employees will not use personal email providers like Yahoo! or Gmail for official business.
Victims of fraud, or those suspecting they have been targeted, are encouraged to file a complaint with the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement or report the incident to the Office of Inspector General via the agency’s online portal at www.cftc.gov/OIG. Individuals with questions about potentially fraudulent communications can verify authenticity by emailing OIGCommunications@cftc.gov. Further information on imposter scams is available on the CFTC’s website: https://www.cftc.gov/LearnAndProtect.
The CFTC’s warning underscores the growing sophistication of fraud schemes and the importance of vigilance in protecting against financial exploitation.
Source: CFTC.gov
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