REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO 911

Saturday, July 20, 2024

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – July/August Crime Prevention Newsletter

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – July/August Crime Prevention Newsletter

 

The Jury Duty Scam has been making the rounds locally and sextortion of children, often males, has become a big problem for some families. To learn how to protect your family from these scams and about a new resource your teen can use if they are experiencing stress, anxiety, violent threats, sexual abuse, etc. check out the latest issue of the Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention newsletter “Partners in Crime Prevention.”

 

 

Partners in Crime Prevention:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7188

Monday, July 8, 2024

SCAMS – Good to Go Scam

On the front of its webpage, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Good to Go program has a warning about clicking on links in emails or text messages claiming that you have an overdue amount owing on your Good to Go toll account.

This warning shows that a scam that has been making the rounds in other states has come to Washington State. With the toll fee scam, you receive an email or text message that claims that you owe overdue toll fees on the state’s highways. The email or texts will have links to websites that claim to be from the toll road authority or a vendor who administers the toll program.   

The FBI also has issued its own warning for the scam. In March of this year the FBI received over 2,000 complaints about the scam to its IC3 complaint center.

In addition to Washington, several other states and local toll authorities have issued warnings including Virginia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Dener, Georgia, California, North Caroline, and Texas.

As with other similar scams the link or telephone number provided in the email or text message will take you to a fake website designed to look like the real web site of the agency that the scammer is purporting to represent or to an operator pretending to represent the agency.

The FBI recommends that if you receive a toll fee scam email or text to,

·         Check your account using the toll agency’s actual website. DO NOT click on any links in the message. Instead look for the agency’s web address on any statements that you might have from the agency or do a web search to find the right address.

·         If you want to call the agency’s customer service department, DO NOT call any phone numbers provided by the email or text. Look up the phone number with a web search.

·         Report the scam to the FBI at www.ic3.gov with the following information

o   The phone number from where the text originated or the email address of the originator of the email.

o   Any website addresses listed in the email or text.

·         Delete the email or text.

The toll fee scam is one more example of scammers finding new agencies and organizations to impersonate to steal from you.

Washington State Department of Transportation, Good to Go:

https://mygoodtogo.com/EN/

 

FBI:

https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2024/PSA240412

 

Verify:

https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/texts-about-outstanding-toll-balances-are-scams/536-68dc189f-8307-453d-b6d4-5df79805afd9?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_VerifyThis

 

GeekWire:

https://www.geekwire.com/2024/washington-state-dept-of-transportation-warns-good-to-go-customers-of-bill-paying-scam/

 

KIRO 7 News:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/new-scam-targets-good-go-toll-customers/S37OCLACHVGNTPWB2RS3NWQBCA/