JULY 4- Fireworks Safety

The 4^th of July is coming. If you plan on shooting off fireworks, be sure to check so that you know where you can shoot them legally. Check out this map for areas where fireworks are allowed and not allowed- https://snofire7.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=50c8496093d94160933bffbc16929c98.

In general, fireworks are banned in the Southwest portion of unincorporated Snohomish County (see link to map above). Violating the ban can cause a $500 penalty, a civil infraction, and the possibility of court-ordered restitution. Fireworks are also banned in Arlington, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Gold Bar, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, and Woodway.

In unincorporated Snohomish County, you can only shoot fireworks in approved areas between 9am and 11:59pm on July 4. Do not discharge fireworks before or after July 4. Cities within Snohomish County set their own regulations regarding fireworks.

Also, remember it is illegal to:

·         Discharge fireworks in any Washington State Park or Snohomish County Park

·         Discharge fireworks on federal and state land, including those managed by the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.

·         Discharge fireworks on public property, public streets, sidewalks, parking lots, or school property.

·         Discharge fireworks on private property without permission, and discharge fireworks from private property onto public property.

·         Possess or discharge illegal fireworks. Firecrackers, rockets, M-80s, dynamite, and all homemade fireworks are illegal.

 

The Fire Marshal’s Office recommends that you take the following measures to use fireworks safely:

•         in case of an emergency, when there is an immediate threat to life or property, dial 9-1-1.

•         have a bucket of water for emergencies and to douse used fireworks. Keep the ground wet.

•         never build or experiment with homemade fireworks.

•         never let children handle or light fireworks; even sparklers can be dangerous.

•         never ignite fireworks while holding them; light one at a time and move away quickly.

•         make sure you give yourself enough room in a safe location – away from buildings, vehicles, and flammable materials.

•         never light fireworks inside a structure.

•         watch what you wear; loose clothing can catch fire while handling fireworks.

•         never try to re-ignite fireworks that have malfunctioned; soak them in water, then throw them away.

•         never ignite fireworks while you are under the influence of alcohol and/or mind-altering drugs.

•         never aim fireworks at vehicles, homes, or people.

•         only light one firework at a time.

 

Also, if you see illegal discharge of fireworks, please call the non-emergency phone number, (425) 407-3999 DO NOT call 911 unless there is an immediate threat to life or property.

For other resources about fireworks, go to,

 

 

Snohomish County Fire Marshal:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/1164/Fireworks

 

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/81527/Stay-Safe-and-Legal-this-4th-of-July-flyer-2021?bidId=

 

Snohomish County 911 Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=582420747410482&set=a.160670009585560

 

Washington State Patrol, Legal and Illegal Fireworks:

 http://www.wsp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/fireworks_stand_list_legal_and_illegal-1.pdf

 

National Fire Protection Association:

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Seasonal-fires/Fireworks

 

Consumer Product Safety Commission:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Fireworks/

 

 

 

JURY DUTY SCAM – Washington State Patrol Investigating

Earlier this week, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) posted a warning on its Facebook page that it will never call citizens to tell them that they have a warrant issued against them. It notes a recent increase of reports to it about citizens receiving phone calls from jury duty scammers.

While the characteristics of this long-used scam remain essentially the same, there is one twist in recent calls. According to KCSO once the scammer has your money, usually with a cash card or gift card, the scammer tells you to go to the King County Courthouse and sign up for Jury Duty. They then claim that King County will reimburse you for the amount that you gave to the scammer. Of course, this is not true, King County will not reimburse you for payment of this fake fine.

KCSO, also notes that The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating the Jury Scam in conjunction with KCSO and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. If you have been victimized by a jury scammer, you can report the incident to WSP at: jurydutyscam@wsp.wa.gov or (425) 401-7741. Also, please report the incident to your local police department.

While this activity is being reported in King County, scammers can easily move their operations to Snohomish County. With a statewide agency such as the Washington State Patrol involved in investigating the Jury Scam, there may be more opportunity to bring the scammers to justice.

 

  

King County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=570064548651322&set=a.150629573928157

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/sheriff/news-media/scam-alert.aspx

 

MAIL THEFT – Check Washing is on the Rise

In this time of frauds perpetrated by people in other states or even countries, an old-fashioned check fraud has increased in popularity with criminals. Check washing is where a criminal takes a check that someone has written, then erases the recipient in the “to” line and the amount, usually with nail polish remover, then fills in a new person as the recipient and a new amount, often more than the original amount.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has warned the public about postal thieves stealing mail looking for checks to wash. Between March 2020 through February 2021, USPIS says that it received more than 299,000 complaints of mail theft, a 161% increase from the year before. While thieves look for many things in the mail, such as credit cards, cash, and personal information such as bank account or credit card numbers from statements, a major component for the increase in mail theft is check washing. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN), an arm of the U.S. Treasury Department, banks nearly doubled the number of reports of check fraud in 2022 to 680,000 reports from 350,000 in 2021.

According to at least one criminal justice academic, check washing has migrated from local criminals washing a few checks stolen from residential mailboxes to organized groups stealing mail from blue Postal Service collection boxes.

What can you do to prevent becoming a check washing victim? Here are some ideas,

 

·         Pay your bills online. This is the safest and quickest way to pay your bills.

·         Deliver your mail to a post office. Don’t leave your check in your own mailbox for pickup. Especially if you need to raise the red flag to let the letter carrier know you have outgoing mail. That flag is a sure sign to a mail thief to take your mail. Take your check directly to your local post office. Don’t leave it in the blue box outside but take it inside to the outgoing mail slot or box inside.

·         Use a pen with blue or black non-erasable gel ink. Gel ink is more difficult to remove than ball point ink.

·         Don’t let delivered mail sit in your mailbox. Collect the mail in your mailbox as soon as you can after delivery, at least once a day. If you are away, ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail or have the post office hold your mail until you return.

·         Monitor your bank account. Check your bank account online every few days.

·         Report incidents quickly. Contact your bank as soon as possible after suspicious activity; banks are generally required to replace funds stolen via fraudulent checks, but only if the scam is reported within 30 days of the date of your bank statement. Also, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and credit reporting agencies.

 

 

 

Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/check-fraud-is-on-the-rise-heres-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it/

 

AARP Fraud Watch Network:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/stop-check-washers.html

 

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network:

https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/shared/FinCEN%20Alert%20Mail%20Theft-Related%20Check%20Fraud%20FINAL%20508.pdf

 

U.S. Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/check-washing

https://www.uspis.gov/report

 

SCAMS – Scammers Pretend to be from the Everett Animal Shelter

Fraudsters have been prolific in the number of scams that they perpetrate on innocent citizens. AARP lists 83 on their Fraud Watch Network website. And fraudsters come up with new scams every day, often following the news about the latest natural disaster or law/regulation change which they can use to steal money from unsuspecting victims.

Myeverettnews.com published a press release from the Everett Animal Shelter this week about another new scam- lost pet scam. The animal shelter says that it has received numerous reports of someone pretending to be from the animal shelter calling pet owners who have posted notices on social media about their lost pet. The scammer tells the pet owner that their pet is at the Everett Animal Shelter and asks for payment over the phone collecting credit card information for the supposed payment. The scammer even spoofs the Everett Animal Shelter main phone line, lending credibility to the call. The animal shelter says the pet owner shows up to pick up their pet only to find that their pet was never in their care and that real animal shelter personnel did not call them.

By pretending to be from a legitimate animal care organization the scammer develops credibility with the pet owner. They present a quick solution to a problem that the pet owner has been trying to solve. If you have lost your pet, you are naturally emotional and concerned for your pet, so it does not take much pressure to pay over the phone then go to the real shelter to pick up your pet.

The Everett Animal Shelter points out that-

·         They do not collect lost pet reclaim fees over the phone (unless there are special circumstances). They collect their fees when you come, in person, to the shelter to pick up your pet.

·         They list all lost/stray animals in their care on their website at- https://www.everettwa.gov/171/Lost-and-Found-Pets?fbclid=IwAR0AdYrqwpqDM8sjytlOjLiozrmp4wFPYoVJgq_26AcNU8qoWutyBkiJNqE. They recommend that if you have posted about your lost pet and receive a call asking for phone payment for its recovery that you check this link before paying anything. Also, hang up the phone and call the Everett Animal Shelter at (425) 257-6000.

New scams like this can be difficult to evaluate, especially if they seem to help solve a problem that concerns you so much. The 5”P’s” can help you evaluate phone calls, texts, emails, or ads for being genuine or fake.

The 5”P’s” include:

• Pretend- Scammers pretend to be someone they are not. This can be someone who claims to be in authority and recognizable to you. 
• Verify their authenticity. Ask yourself, is this person, email, text, etc. really from the organization they say they are?
• Call their agency using the agency's phone number that you found on a web search or a document from the agency.
• Problem- The scammer will claim that you have a problem that you need to solve, and they have the solution to solve it. Or 
• Prize- The scammer tells you that you have a prize owed to you or available to you that has come out of nowhere. 
• Pressure- Scammers put pressure on you to act right away or else there will be dire consequences if you don’t act right now. 
• They try to get you emotional so that you are not thinking logically.
• If the scammer is making you emotional hang up, ask advice of a friend or family member.
• Check out the scammers story by not using any phone numbers or links provided by the scammer. Find the contact information by a separate web search.

·         You Pay- Scammers will pressure you to pay, “it’s easier, faster,” or it’s the only way, and they will want payment with methods that make it impossible for you to recover your money such as gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. 

• Anyone who demands payment with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency is a scammer. Hang up or do not click the link.

 

 

 

MyEverettNews.com:

https://myeverettnews.com/2023/06/05/everett-animal-shelter-issues-scam-warning-over-lost-pets/

 

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/everett-animal-shelter-warns-people-lost-pet-scam/EVINAEL2RRFV3BVK7DTA4HVCSA/

 

Everett Animal Shelter:

https://www.everettwa.gov/171/Lost-and-Found-Pets?fbclid=IwAR0AdYrqwpqDM8sjytlOjLiozrmp4wFPYoVJgq_26AcNU8qoWutyBkiJNqE

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/?Intcmp=AE-FRDSC-ABT-FRC#01/