CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT – Legislature Considers Solutions

With the dramatic increase in catalytic converter thefts reported in Washington State over the last few years, the legislature is considering two bills in an attempt to at least reduce the thefts- HB 1815 in the House and SB 5495 in the Senate.

HB1815 would set up a tracking pilot project to deter catalytic converter theft through the use of VIN’s or other unique identifiers. The Washington State Patrol would establish a program to mark catalytic converters with unique identifiers, such as VIN’s. It would also establish a catalytic converter theft task force, coordinated by the Washington State Patrol, to study state laws as they relate to catalytic converter thefts and to make recommendations to the legislature.

SB 5495 would prohibit scrap dealers from buying catalytic converters except from commercial businesses and vehicle owners. It sets up detailed record keeping requirements including the VIN’s of vehicles that the catalytic converters were taken from among other requirements. Cash payments would be delayed by at least five days. Also, any dealer who knowingly purchases or receives a stolen catalytic converter could be charged with a misdemeanor.

SB 5495 is fashioned after a similar Oregon law that takes affect this year.

Comment- Put together, the proposed bills take a two-pronged approach to reducing catalytic converter thefts. The first is to mark catalytic converters so that they can be identified as stolen. For example, the license number and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) helps police identify your car as stolen. While the VIN can help recover whole vehicles, marking the catalytic converter with the VIN, can help identify it as stolen and help police put together a criminal case against a catalytic converter thief.

The second approach is to place responsibility on scrap dealers to ensure that they are not taking stolen goods plus to set down record keeping requirements that potentially can help police in a theft investigation. The Senate bill places its emphasis on commercial scrap dealers. The record keeping requirements will no doubt make it more difficult for thieves to unload their stolen converters at scrap yards. It may force catalytic converter thieves to sell their stolen converters to other buyers, such as unscrupulous scrap dealers, through markets on the internet, to out of state buyers, or even out of country buyers. Criminals are often very flexible and change how they operate to methods that are less risky (for them).

This is what happened with meth. During the early part of the 21^st century, there was an epidemic of local meth labs that used common chemicals including chemicals found in common cold medications. The Federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 restricted the access of cold medicines. Back yard meth labs soon closed down due to the difficulty in obtaining pseudoephedrine. However, Mexican gangs have taken up the slack by making their own meth and distributing it throughout the U.S.  

While catalytic converter thieves will probably change their methods, passage of these two bills will probably help to reduce catalytic converter thefts.

 

Project CATCON ID- The Everett Police Department has announced another Project CATCON ID event to be held on Saturday January 29^th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The location of the event will be Sno-Isle Tech, 9001 Airport Rd, Everett, WA 98204. Project CATCON ID helps vehicle owners engrave the last 8 digits of the VIN onto their catalytic converter. If the catalytic converter is stolen, the vehicle owner can give the VIN to police when reporting the theft. The VIN can be helpful in an investigation to prove that the catalytic converter was indeed stolen.

Everett Police Department:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=307357098103093&set=a.225832992922171&__cft__[0]=AZUjrjuLiMBZhrZimNFhzRx5RFBIqwIY4LRx9hA0o4xKYOmMIM9-nTF4bV0sroV2MCwm1Jropz3vL8aKp5dPyZEGNim2jUpqTUrj9h9_StdGFFG7mSUvnwMJyPh9y-WxRW1xiYD4S7g4c-6yp60ZcDg5&__tn__=EH-R

 

For more information about the bills and to track their progress through the legislature, check out the following links,

 

HB 1815:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1815&Year=2021&Initiative=false

 

SB 5495:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5495&Year=2021&Initiative=false

 

KING TV:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/bill-task-force-solutions-catalytic-converter-thefts-washington-state/281-d6a0adf2-9e4a-4d35-8eb5-9a95dbe6446c

https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/catalytic-converter-thefts-proposed-washington-law/281-2afdd7de-add1-4a5f-b30b-2bea12b64e38

 

KOMO TV:

https://komonews.com/news/local/senator-proposes-new-bill-targeting-catalytic-converter-thefts

https://komonews.com/news/politics/new-law-proposal-aims-to-stop-catalytic-converter-thiefs-cold

 

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT – Add Your VIN Number

Recently, two Snohomish County law enforcement agencies have placed an emphasis in the current trend of catalytic converter theft. The Everett Police Department hosted its second free catalytic converter engraving event. And the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office shared prevention tips for protection of catalytic converters on social media.

There have been many suggestions to protect catalytic converters circulating over the past few years. Have a cage of a hard material that is difficult to cut installed over the converter. Set an alarm or camera to sound off or take video when burglars jiggle your car. Park your car in your garage if you can and when parking when you shop or go to work, park in a well-lit, busy area of the parking lot.  

Some critics complain that the prevention tips are ineffective. Preventing catalytic converter theft has proven to be difficult. It only takes simple, hand-held battery-operated tools to cut out the converter in seconds. The suggestions, however, should help take away an opportunity for the thieves to take your converter or at least slow them down.

But, if they are able to cut out your converter, then there is no way prove that it was stolen. That is where the idea of engraving your vehicle’s VIN on it comes in. Police often encounter stolen property but cannot prove that it is stolen or cannot return it to the rightful owner. Engraving certain items such as tools or electronics is a long-time technique that police have suggested to citizens. By engraving an identification number or symbol on valuable piece of equipment you help the Sheriff’s Office make a criminal case.

While our vehicles’ VINs are placed in different places on our vehicles, no one thought that it would need to be placed on a catalytic converter. But doing so might help deputies apprehend a catalytic converter thief.

 

 

Everett Police Department:

https://everettwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28641/Catalytic-Converters-Theft-Prevention-V2

 

 

SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD – Scammers Impersonate the Social Security Administration

There are many ways to defraud taxpayers through the Social Security Administration. One of the direct methods that fraudster use is to call you unexpectedly telling you that there is something wrong with your Social Security number or account. They will ask to “verify” your Social Security number or may ask or demand payment for some made up fee or fine. This is a phishing attempt to gather your personal information to use in further fraud against you or the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration says that it does use emails, text messages, and social media to provide information about its programs and services. But it will never:

·         Threaten you.

·         Suspend you Social Security number.

·         Request personal information or financial information via email, texts, or social media.

·         Demand immediate payment from you.

·         Require payment by cash, gift card, pre-paid debit card, or wire transfer.

·         Ask for gift card numbers over the phone or to wire or mail cash.

Phishing attempts can come via a phone call, email, or text message. The key thing to remember is that the scammer is going to try to shock you to get you to act without thinking. If someone is trying to pressure, threatened, or scare you, hang up the phone or ignore the email or text.

If you receive a scam phone call, email or text message that impersonates the Social Security Administration report it to the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration by calling its fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

For more information about Social Security fraud check out the links below.

 

Social Security Administration:

https://www.ssa.gov/fraud/

 

Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration:

https://oig.ssa.gov/scam/?utm_campaign=oig-scam-22&utm_content=oig-scam-page&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft