SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE- Preventing Youth Addiction

The latest issue of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office crime prevention newsletter is now available. This issue focuses on keeping children off drugs including prevention tips and a listing of resources.





Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6152

SCAM- DEA Warns Citizens About Imposter Scammers

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning citizens about scammers impersonating DEA Special Agents. Two types of scams have recently come to light.

The first is when a scammer calls a victim, who often have previously purchased prescription drugs over the internet or by telephone. The scammers identify themselves as from the DEA then informs the victim that purchasing drugs over the internet or by telephone is illegal. They claim that DEA will take enforcement action unless the victim pays a fine. They usually want payment via a wire transfer to a designated location, usually overseas. Refusals to pay are met with threats of arrest.

The DEA does warn the public about ordering controlled substances online. The only way that online ordering is legal is when very stringent requirements are met by the selling pharmacy. Also, Pharmacies that sell controlled substances over the internet must be registered with the DEA. The risk of ordering online from an unknown source is receiving unsafe, counterfeit or ineffective drugs from criminals. Also, your personal and financial information could be put at risk.

The DEA reminds everyone that they will not give you a call and demand payment. If someone does call claiming to be from the DEA, hang up.

A similar scam takes a different tact in that the DEA impersonator claims to be helping you. A Tacoma woman reported to KIRO TV that she received a phone call and several voicemails claiming that there had been fraudulent activity involving her Social Security number.

When she called the number, she talked to someone who claimed to be with the DEA, even giving a name and a badge number, and who said that the Social Security number had been used in drug trafficking in Texas.

These scammers took their time with the Tacoma woman, asking her about friends or family in Texas, anyone who she might have given her Social Security number to, and had she been to Texas among other questions. The scammers kept her on the phone for 5 hours.

The scammers wanted her to withdraw the funds in her bank accounts then send them to the imposter DEA agents via Google Play gift cards at which point they would send back a “government-certified check” with “clean money” that she could put back into her bank accounts. When she said that she was not buying gift cards to send to them (she had heard that scammers use gift cards to steal from people), the scammers reassured her that they were trying to protect her.

Long time scam and fraud observers say that scammers try to get their victims under the “ether,” in an emotional state where they are not thinking logically. As the Tacoma woman put it to KIRO, “But when you’re locked into the fear and confusion together, everything looks blurry.”

While many people would see through these impersonators, scammers can convince enough people to send money to make their criminal activities worthwhile. Scammers continue to find new twists and techniques to catch the average person off guard. Being aware of these changes helps you to stay alert.



Drug Enforcement Administration:

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm



If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the DEA, the DEA would like to know. You can report it at,

https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/esor/spring/main?execution=e1s1



KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/dea-warns-of-a-new-intricate-phone-scam-targeting-seattle-tacoma-area/931255061

FRAUD- Imposter Scams Top FTC List

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued its annual report on fraud. For 2018, it notes that imposter scams were number one in the number of complaints with debt collection scams number 2 and identity theft number 3.

The FTC says that it received nearly 3 million fraud complaints from consumers in 2018 who lost almost $1.48 billion. That is a 38% increase in the amount lost to fraud, nationwide, from 2017.

Popular methods of payment required by scammers included wire transfers and credit cards in first and second place respectively. A growing number of scammers are requiring to be paid by gift and reload cards.

For Washington State, the top three scams reported to the FTC were imposter scams (1), identity theft (2), and debt collection (3).

The FTC reminds everyone that if you receive a scam call you should hang up and report it to the FTC.



Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/02/imposter-scams-top-complaints-made-ftc-2018



FTC Complaint Assistant:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

BURGLARY PREVENTION- Video Can Be an Important “Eye Witness”

On March 4 Edmonds Police Department detectives briefed a standing room crowd of Edmonds residents on how they can help prevent burglaries in their communities. While long planned, the timing of the briefing came after a series of burglaries in the Chase Lake area in the past two months.

While the Chase Lake burglaries no doubt helped turnout to the meeting, detectives did not have much to say about them since they are continuing with an active investigation into the burglaries. Detectives did focus on burglary prevention techniques that homeowner and business owners can use.

One of the techniques that the detectives emphasized was the use of video used in conjunction with a security alarm system. Video can act as an eye witness to a burglary, package theft or other theft. It often provides quick identification of a suspect. And it “provides powerful and undeniable proof of guilt.” Law enforcement agencies need evidence to make an arrest. An eye witness who can identify a suspect is very rare in the case of burglaries. Recovering stolen property takes time. Identifying the rightful owners of stolen property can be difficult. Forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints can take up to 12 months to process.

Their recommendations included,

·         Pair a video system with a home alarm system. The alarm system can disrupt a burglar and notify you that someone is in your house or building while the video can show at least part of what happened and who did the burglary.

·         Use a video system that records day and night, seven days a week. Be sure that it records the images to a DVR that you can review later.

·         Purchase the best quality system that you can afford. Low resolution video does not help in identifying suspects. Medium to high resolution video can be very helpful in identifying people and vehicle license plates.

·         Many security services offer around the clock monitoring. If you choose not to sign up for a monitoring service, consider a system that can send you an alert to your cell phone when it detects motion.

·         Place signs and/or window decals in visible locations to warn potential burglars they are being recorded.

Some common mistakes that people make with video systems include,

•       Camera is located too high. At one time, security professionals recommended that cameras be place high and out of reach. This gave a wide field of view and made it more difficult of the burglar to steal the camera. This made some sense when cameras were expensive. However, the Edmonds PD points out that placing a camera at a high level can make it difficult to capture a suspect’s face. And with high quality cameras being much less expensive, replacing a camera is not as onerous. One piece of equipment to protect is the DVR. This would have the evidence of the burglar stealing the camera, but if the DVR is in an easily found place, the burglar can take the box that holds the evidence of his theft.
•       Cameras with low or poor resolution. Medium or high-resolution cameras are available for sale.
•       Cameras that are placed too far from the point that need to be monitored. If the camera is supposed to monitor your front door it should be close enough to give a good view of what is going on and be able to identify any suspects.
•       Not recording the video. If you cannot show the patrol officer or deputy the video, why have video. Video can be stored on a DVR or with a security service’s computer servers in “the cloud.”

Whether you choose outdoor cameras, a door bell camera or indoor cameras, having video can be an inexpensive way that helps detectives find and charge a burglar.

You can watch a video of the meeting here,

Edmonds Police Department/YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZygvyKvDeV0&feature=youtu.be