U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a national alert warning that scammers are posing as CBP officers and Border Patrol agents, demanding immediate payments by phone. The agency stressed it never solicits money over the phone and advised recipients to hang up immediately. The warning coincides with a surge in so-called smishing schemes that distribute bogus texts about unpaid traffic tickets or Department of Motor Vehicles violations. Authorities in Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and the Washington, D.C., region report widespread messages that use real officials’ names or fictitious agencies to coax victims into clicking malicious links or transferring funds. Law-enforcement agencies say older adults are being hit especially hard. The FBI estimates elder-fraud losses reached $4.8 billion nationwide last year, including $134 million in New England and $100 million in Virginia. Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, the FBI and several state attorneys general urged consumers to ignore unsolicited requests for payment, verify caller identities independently and report suspected fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or local police.