Guam Flooded with Scam Phone Offers

Charlene Thornton, Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC) of the Honolulu office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), warned the public about fraudulent telephone solicitations targeting residents of Guam that offer $10,000 cash grants in exchange for $100 advance fees.

The fraudulent phone offers attempt to lure potential victims into sending Western Union wire transfers in exchange for much larger cash grants or prizes—a practice that does not exist in reality. No financial loss has been reported to date among Guam residents, but the FBI office in Guam has received multiple complaints concerning this scam warranting this public advisory.

“Advance fee schemes are a basic form of telemarketing fraud. The best defense is to tell the caller you aren’t interested and that you want to be removed from their list. These scammers can be quite persuasive, so don’t be afraid to just hang up on them,” said SAC Thornton. “Please be cautious of any unsolicited phone call offering a deal too good to be true.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Press outlets may contact the FBI-Honolulu Press Office at 808-566-4356 with any questions.