Scam alert
Caller Ties Your Account to Child Abuse Material? It's a Scam
Posted
Sioux Falls, SD and Austin, TX · keloland.com · Arrives by a phone call
The short answer
A caller who says you are under investigation for child sexual abuse material, then wants money, gift cards, card details or access to your phone or computer to clear it, is a scammer. On October 22, 2026, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, police said a man nearly lost $10,000 in gift cards this way, and Austin, Texas, police warned of callers posing as its detectives. Austin police said they will never ask for money, credit card information or remote access for an investigation. Hang up and call your police department on a number you look up yourself.
What is happening
On October 22, 2026, Sioux Falls police said a man who got a phone notification about a purchase on his account called the number listed and was told the charges were associated with child pornography and that he would be transferred to a "federal agent," who told him to buy $10,000 in gift cards at a home improvement store and to stick to a cover story because employees would question the purchase, KELOLAND News and KELO reported. Store staff had seen similar scams, but he bought the cards and gave the numbers over the phone, then realized it was a scam and called his bank and the store, and police said it did not appear he had lost money. The same day, Austin police warned that callers were claiming to be APD detectives investigating people for child sexual abuse material or human trafficking, sometimes making caller ID show an APD number, KVUE reported.
How to recognize it
- A caller says you are being investigated for child sexual abuse material or human trafficking, then offers a way to make it go away.
- You are told to pay, buy gift cards, share credit card details, or give remote access to your phone or computer to clear the matter.
- It starts with a notice about a purchase on your account and a number to call, then you are passed to a "federal agent."
- You are warned that store employees will question your gift card purchase and given a cover story to tell them.
- Caller ID shows a real police department number.
What to do instead
- Hang up. Police do not settle an investigation over the phone for money, gift cards, or access to your device.
- Do not call the number in a surprise purchase notice. Check your account by signing in yourself or calling the number on your card.
- Call your local police department on a number you look up yourself. In Austin, police say you can call 311 to check.
- If a store employee questions a large gift card purchase, stop and listen to them.
- If you want to tell someone, the rule is: no one clears a crime over the phone for money.
If it already happened
Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.
- These calls are built to frighten people into staying quiet. Talk to a friend or family member. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.
- If you bought gift cards, call your bank and the store right away. In Sioux Falls, police said a call to the bank and the store appeared to stop the loss.
- Report it to your local police and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Common questions
- Would police or a federal agent ever call to settle a case like this?
- No. Austin police said they will never ask people to send money, share credit card information, or give remote access to a computer or phone for an investigation. A demand like that means the call is a scam.
- Is this the same as the bank caller who hands you to the FBI?
- It is close. Another alert on this site, Bank Caller Passes You to "the FBI"? Both Are Scammers. Hang Up, covers a call about your account that is passed to a fake FBI agent who tells you to move your money.
Practice this safely
Practice hanging up on a frightening accusation and calling the police yourself on a number you look up.
Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.
Tell someone
Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.
Caller Ties Your Account to Child Abuse Material? It's a Scam A caller who says you are under investigation for child sexual abuse material, then wants money, gift cards, card details or access to your phone or computer to clear it, is a scammer. On October 22, 2026, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, police said a man nearly lost $10,000 in gift cards this way, and Austin, Texas, police warned of callers posing as its detectives. Austin police said they will never ask for money, credit card information or remote access for an investigation. Hang up and call your police department on a number you look up yourself. Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/child-abuse-material-accusation-call-scam
Where this comes from
These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.
- KELOLAND News: SFPD spreads scam awareness after a $10,000 gift card call (October 22, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
keloland.com
- KELO: Sioux Falls Police are warning of yet another scam involving gift cards (October 23, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
kelo.com
- KVUE: Austin police warn of phone scam using child sexual abuse material, trafficking claims (October 22, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
kvue.com
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
The full guide on this
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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.