SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE- Burglary Alert

 

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has issued the following warning today on its Facebook page:

Robbery and Burglary Unit (RBU) detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify the suspects below. Over the past two weeks, the Sheriff’s Office has seen an increase in residential burglaries primarily targeting American Indian victims. The burglaries have occurred during daytime hours in unincorporated Bothell, along 35th Ave SE between 180th St SE and 228th St SE. The suspects are believed to be part of a larger organized group that operates throughout the region. Below are photos of the suspects. If you live in this area and have any home surveillance footage of these suspects, please contact our office.

Detectives are encouraging residents to secure valuables and ensure all windows, sliding doors and access points are properly locked. These suspects are believed to be associated with a black early-2000s Mercedes sedan and a newer silver Mercedes SUV with unknown plates (pictured below).

Please call 911 to report any suspicious activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoSheriff

 

 

 

FTC- Warns of Phishing QR Codes

You are probably aware of phishing emails and smishing texts that contain a link intended to take you to a fake web site that asks for your personal information in order to conduct identity theft or to install malware that harvests information from your computer or smartphone.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning that scammers are now sending unexpected emails and text messages with QR codes that are intended to take you to a fake website or download malware.

Some of the ploys that have been reported to the FTC include:

 

·         They lie and say they couldn't deliver your package and you need to contact them to reschedule.

·         They pretend like there’s a problem with your account, and you need to confirm your information.

·         They lie, saying they noticed suspicious activity on your account, and you need to change your password.

 

Like most phishing and smishing schemes, the scammers want to create a sense of urgency so that you scan the QR code without thinking about it.

Scammers have also been known to cover over a legitimate QR code such as at a parking lot that takes you to a copycat website where you pay the scammer but not the business that owns the parking lot.

The FTC recommends that you do the following to protect yourself:

 

·         If you see a QR code in an unexpected place, inspect the URL before you open it. If it looks like a URL you recognize, make sure it’s not spoofed — look for misspellings or a switched letter.

·         Don’t scan a QR code in an email or text message you weren’t expecting — especially if it urges you to act immediately. If you think the message is legitimate, use a phone number or website you know is real to contact the company.

·         Protect your phone and accounts. Update your phone's OS to protect against hackers and protect your online accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

 

 

 

 

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/scammers-hide-harmful-links-qr-codes-steal-your-information

 

CBS News:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/federal-trade-commission-warns-scammers-are-using-qr-codes-to-steal-personal-information/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h

 

 

PACKAGE THEFT- Still a Concern for Online Shoppers

The Chamber of Commerce recently published a survey of online consumers to see how extensive package theft is in America and what people do to try to prevent package theft.

It found that 26% of consumers have had a package stolen. The average value of stolen packages is $81.91. Most package theft occur in suburban (43%) and urban (42%) areas. Rural areas only had 14% of the nation’s package theft. Package thefts can take place against a single-family home or an apartment or condo complex with single family homes edging out multi-unit homes 49% to 42%.

49% of respondents voiced a concern that their online orders will get stolen with 31% saying that they avoid buying expensive items online due to their concern of package theft.

Consumers overwhelmingly use delivery tracking (88%) to try to prevent package theft. 57% said that they wait at home for delivery. 46% have a surveillance camera at their front door. 22% require a signature on delivery and 16% pick up their packages at a store.

While 46% said that they had a camera and 20% said that they had purchased a doorbell camera or similar home security product in the past year, 38% said that they believed that doorbell cameras do not deter package thieves. And among package theft victims, 22% had a doorbell camera when the theft occurred.

Average spending on security items to prevent package theft amounted to $143.45.

Clearly, package theft is a concern for modern Americans.

A small study of package theft by an associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University in 2019 found that most stolen packages were visible from the street. This implies that if you can instruct the delivery company to place packages in a place that is out of view of the street that you may lessen the risk of your packages being stolen.

And sometimes calling in suspicious activity to 911 gets immediate results. On December 6, 2023, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook about the apprehension of a package thief as a result of a tip off from several concerned area residents. Deputies recovered an estimated $3,000 to $4,000 in stolen goods including an iPhone, a set of tires, clothing, and a vacuum cleaner. And deputies were able to return some of the stolen packages to their rightful owners.

No one method will be an end all for package theft, but using multiple techniques should lower the risk of having a package on your front porch stolen.

 

Chamber of Commerce:

https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/package-theft-statistics#how-to-prevent-package-theft

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/package-theft-holiday-season.html

 

South Snohomish County Crime Watch:

https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2022/12/package-theft-continuing-problem-during.html

 

US Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/tips-prevention/mail-theft

 

Seattle Police Department:

https://www.seattle.gov/police/crime-prevention/package-theft-prevention

 

 

 

 

LYNNWOOD- PD Looking for Suspect Who Installs Skimmers

The Lynwood Police Department is asking for help from the public in identifying and locating a suspect who has been spotted installing credit card skimmers in local ATM’s.

One device was found inside the QFC on the 7500 block of 196^th St SW in Lynnwood. The device collected data from a victim’s credit card and the information was used. Another device was placed on a Bank of America ATM at 7110 NE Bothell Way in Bothell. No data was collected from this device before it was discovered.

Skimmers are used to collect account information from credit and debit cards that allow the thieves to create their own credit cards or to take funds out of a checking account. The skimmer can read the information on the magnetic strip on the card.

Skimmers often are placed outside of the ATM since it is difficult to place the device inside the machine. Sometimes they can be detected if they are a little loose on the outside of the ATM or if they are not a perfect fit.

A new device has been developed that is called a shimmer. Shimmers are placed inside the card reader and read some data from a chip card. The data cannot be used to create another chip card but can be used on a magnetic strip of a duplicate card. Since shimmers are inserted inside the card reader, they are more difficult to detect.

Lynnwood detectives recommend that you use tap to pay or a service such as Google Wallet or Apple Pay instead of swiping or inserting your card.

Tap to pay is considered more secure because the card sends a very short range encrypted signal to the card reader that cannot be copied.

Here are some other tips to help you avoid your credit/debit card information from being stolen:

 

·         Look to see if the machine is damaged with scratches, holes, tape on seams, or bubbles of glue on the machine.

·         Does the ATM look different from any nearby ATM of the same type.

·         Does the keyboard feel funny. Sometimes thieves place a membrane over the keyboard to capture PIN’s.

·         Are there any loose parts on the ATM?

·         Use your hand to cover entering your PIN. Sometimes thieves will also place cameras in the area to capture your PIN.

·         Use an indoor ATM. Thieves like to use ATM’s that are more isolated from view.

·         Pay attention to your credit card statement and notify your card provider of any unusual or suspicious transactions.

 

 

Below are some photos of the individual that Lynnwood Police are looking for.

 

 

 

If you know who this person is, please contact Lynnwood Police at (425) 670-5628 or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

 

 FOX 13:

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/lynnwood-police-searching-for-suspect-putting-credit-card-skimmers-on-atms

  

PC Magazine:

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/how-to-spot-and-avoid-credit-card-skimmers

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/is-that-atm-safe-8-tips-to-protect-your-credit-card

 

US Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing-package-tracking-text-scams

Krebs on Security:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/01/atm-shimmers-target-chip-based-cards/

  

PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/us/brc/article/is-tap-to-pay-safe

 

Verify:

https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/tap-to-pay-contactless-cards-protect-skimmers-gas-pumps-atms-secure-credit-cards/536-d466956d-2a3c-440b-bbcf-3665293215cb

 

 

 

SMISHING SCAMS- Impersonating the Postal Service/UPS/FEDEX/Amazon

The holiday season is a time of year when we may receive more packages at our front door than at other times of year. And we probably will receive fake text messages (smishing) that claim there is a problem with a delivery and the delivery company (scammers) wants to verify some information or a fee needs to be paid to complete the delivery. Often there is a link to click on or there may be a phone number to call. This is a ploy to gather your personal information such as account username and password, or your credit card account number.

Scammers will impersonate the Postal Service (USPS), UPS, FEDEX, and Amazon. Each service has issued warnings about fake text messages and emails claiming to come from them and provide guidance to avoid the messages and how to report the attempted fraud to them.

Each delivery service offers advice on how you can protect yourself from this scam:

FEDEX-

·        FEDEX does not ask for personal information from consumers via email, mail, or text.

·        Watch out for misspellings on the website and its web address and email address such as fedx.com or fed-ex.com for its real web address, fedex.com.

·         Do not engage with a sender of a suspicious email.

·         Report the fraud to abuse@fedex.com, 1-800-GeFedEx or 1-800-463-3339.

 

UPS- 

·         Slow down if you receive a suspicious text message or email. Scammers rely on rushing you with a sense of urgency to get you to act without thinking.

·         Don’t click on any suspicious links. The legitimate web address for UPS is ups.com.

·         Report fraudulent emails or texts to fraud@ups.com.

 

 

 

USPS- 

·         USPS will not send emails or text messages unless a customer has first requested the service and has provided a tracking number.

·         For information about USPS Text Tracking go to https://www.usps.com/text-tracking/welcome.htm

·         Report fraudulent texts or emails to the US Postal Inspection Service at  spam@uspis.gov.

 

Amazon 

·       Occasionally, Amazon will send an email to a customer with an attachment. The attachment should say "Attachment(s) protected by Amazon."

·         Any message that requests payment information not linked to an Amazon order you placed or an Amazon service, asks you to install software on your device, is full of grammatical errors, or has a forged email address that looks like it is from Amazon, is most likely a scam.

·         If Amazon contacts you via phone, email, or text, it will not ask you to disclose your personal information nor will it offer an unexpected refund.

·         Report suspicious emails or text messages on Amazon’s Customer Service page.

 

 

FEDEX:

https://www.fedex.com/en-us/report-fraud.html

 

UPS:

https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/legal-terms-conditions/fight-fraud.page

  

US Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing-package-tracking-text-scams

 

Amazon:

https://us.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=T3MYikBay7swNeFqFo

  

USA Today:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/08/24/ups-fedex-usps-amazon-text-scam/70669131007/

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/02/text-message-about-your-fedex-package-really-scam

 

Federal Communications Commission:

https://www.fcc.gov/how-identify-and-avoid-package-delivery-scams

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/package.html?CMP=EMC-MIM-GOI-OTH-FRD-1521003-1775802-7832442-NA-12062023-FraudHolidayScams_Heavy_CTRL-MS2-LearnMore-BTN-P1_FH_Z-Fraud&encparam=WnvEyp%2fiTaKWUyvgb9wdGFaTDfrqFFWXvVB%2fMiAIV5E%3d