With the sad news of the loss of three firefighters, the serious
injury of other firefighters, and the loss of homes to the fires, our attention
has focused on the fires around Chelan, Twisp and Okanogan. We are thinking
about and praying for the fire fighters who died yesterday and for their
families.
While local or state law enforcement agencies have yet to
report any instances of scammers trying to take advantage of the situation,
this is a good time to be wary of any unsolicited phone calls or emails asking
for a donation for the victims of the fires.
Scammers may pressure you make a quick donation. They want
to appeal to your emotions and get you to act while you are emotional. Scammers
call it getting the victim under the “ether.” They may also ask for payment
directly with your bankcard or debit card. They may also ask for payment via a
pre-paid gift card. Do not give out your personal information or pay by methods
that cannot trace payment such as pre-paid gift cards or money grams.
The Red Cross and KING TV have set up a web site for
donations to help people in the Western Wildfires at http://www.redcross.org/cm/kingnwcn-pub.
For more information about charity scams go to:
Federal Trade Commission:
AARP Fraud Watch Network:
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