SCAM UPDATE- Local Law Enforcement Issue Warnings

Scams seem to saturate our lives. Two Snohomish County law enforcement agencies have recently issued warnings about scams that are victimizing Snohomish County citizens.

The Herald reports that the Everett Police Department has warned citizens to be on the lookout for skimmers where they pay for gas, use an ATM, or purchase their groceries. Skimmers have been a long-time technique to collect your credit card or debit card account information. The fraudster who deploys skimmers can use the information to make purchases for himself or can sell the data to other fraudsters for their use.

A police department spokesman told The Herald that they continue to receive reports of skimmers being placed throughout the city.

Skimmers can be difficult to detect. Although sometimes the installation can be not quite perfect so that they look loose, crooked, or the terminal looks like it has been tampered with.

The Everett police recommend using ATMs in indoor well-lit locations. Also, set up text or email alerts on your accounts to help monitor your transaction history. Be sure to regularly monitor your bank and credit card transactions. And use tap-to-pay wherever you can.

Report any unauthorized transactions to your bank immediately. If you suspect that a credit card terminal has a skimmer, tell the business right away.

If you have any information about skimming incidents or know of a suspect who installs skimmers, please contact the Everett Police Department at the EPD Tip Line at (425) 257-8450 or contact Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at (800) 222-TIPS.

For more information about skimmers check out this article from the AARP- https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/credit-card-skimmers/?intcmp=AE-FRDSC-MOR-R2-POS3

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office issued a reminder that law enforcement agencies will not call or send an email and demand immediate payment. In a Facebook post it noted that it continues to receive reports from the public of scammers posing as Sheriff’s Office deputies, sergeants, and lieutenants. The reports note that the scammers are using the names of Sheriff’s Office real staff.

Typically, when scammers impersonate local government officials, they will claim that you missed jury duty, and you need to pay a fine. They also might claim that there is a warrant for your arrest, for missing jury duty or for another violation and to get out of being arrested, you need to pay a fine.

Remember, no legitimate local police agency will call you to tell you that they are on their way to arrest you and demand that you pay a fine in lieu of being arrested.

If you receive a phone call like this let the local police agency know. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.

 

 

 

The Herald:

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/skimming-devices-reported-in-everett-at-gas-stations-atms/

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1100089885477775&set=a.226070289546410

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/09/did-you-get-call-or-email-saying-you-missed-jury-duty-and-need-pay-its-scam

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam#other

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/jury-duty/?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB2-POS14

 

PHISHING- The Leading Introduction to a Scam

You no doubt have heard about phishing. And with good reason. 80-95% of cyber-attacks begin with a phishing email or text message (known as smishing). Phishing is proving to be the number one-way scammers open the door to your personal information and your money.

Of course, the key feature of phishing email or smishing text messages is the link that the message asks you to click on to verify your information or to pay a late bill or fee.

As with any scam, phishing can use any number of pretexts to try to convince you to click on that link. 65% of phishing emails target businesses to download malware often for business espionage, a ransomware attack, or to siphon funds from the target business into the scammer’s pockets. 35% of phishing and smishing attacks target personal assets.

In the personal realm, the list is long in ploys to get you to click on that link. For example,

·         Good to Go Scam which has been prevalent in recent months.

·         Refund Scams where the scammer tries to convince a target that they have a refund coming to them

·         Package scams where a scammer pretending to be Amazon, the Postal Service, UPS, or FEDEX claims there is a problem in delivering a package to you

·         Zoom phishing scam where the scammer claims there is a problem with your Zoom account, or it invites you to join a Zoom meeting, or it tells you that you missed a Zoom meeting.

More phishing attacks are targeting mobile devices. One good example of this is the increase in the number of toll (Good to Go) smishing texts being sent around the country.

Phishing and smishing scams have many traits in common with most other scams.

·         The email or text will pretend to be from a legitimate organization. It will use social engineering to look exactly like it came from the real organization that the scammers are impersonating.

·         The message will use urgent or threatening language to get you emotional so that you click before you think.

·         The message may ask for payment right away and/or ask for personal information.

·         Sender addresses may not quite match the address of the real organization.

·         Hyperlinks may not match the web addresses of the real organization. And the misleading web addresses can be subtle such as pavpal.com instead of paypal.com.

Be sure to take a few seconds to look over any emails or texts that urge you to act right away. Inspect sender email addresses to ensure they are genuine to who the message claims to be from. Hover over any hyperlinks to inspect their web addresses to check that they truly will take you to a legitimate web site. If you feel a need to contact the organization, do not click on the link but look up the phone number or email address in a web search or from documentation that you may have received from the organization previously such as the back of your credit card or an invoice/statement.

And don’t be afraid to ask a family member or friend if they think the email/text is suspicious.

 

 

 

 

 

National Cybersecurity Alliance:

https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/phishing?utm_content=327399967&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-71354375&s=09

 

Verify:

https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/fact-sheets-verify/5-tips-spot-phishing-scam-emails/536-27a1012b-25c7-442c-a61e-a023c8bb1ef9

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/phishing/?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB3-POS8

 

Malwaretips:

https://malwaretips.com/blogs/warning-dont-get-hooked-by-the-refund-credit-scam-call/

 

Better Business Bureau:

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23421-bbb-scam-alert-that-zoom-invite-is-really-a-phishing-scam

 

South Snohomish County Crime Watch:

https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2024/07/scams-good-to-go-scam.html

 

 

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Burglary Prevention

While down for 2024, burglaries remain a problem in Snohomish County. Here are some tips to prevent a burglary at your home from the current issue of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office crime prevention newsletter, “Partners in Crime Prevention.”

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7261

SCAM ALERT- Scammers Target Veterans for their Money

Reported cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs raises the risk that scammers will double down on scams that target veterans with the promise that they can help veterans with the red tape and speed up the process to use the benefits available to the veterans.

Scammers have long victimized veterans with a variety of scams. Typically, they will call, email or text veterans offering to help with acquiring benefits owed to them, for a fee. They might claim that you are missing out on benefits and that you need to act fast. They might also claim that they can speed up your claim or that they help you achieve 100% disability.

They will charge fees for actions that you can accomplish for free. They will charge fees for bogus services such as speeding up your claim or for actions that are out of their control. If a scammer pressures you to sign over a portion of your VA benefits, just say no, hang up, delete the email or text message. That is a scam! VA accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives can help you with your claim for free.

The best thing you can do is to go directly to the VA at https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/Applying.asp to apply for your benefits.

If you need help, only work with a VA accredited representative! You can find a representative by using the VA Accreditation Search tool- https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/find-rep/

Remember, scammers will want to pressure you to act fast to “solve your problem” and will want you to pay for their so called “help.”

Like with disasters and other major news events, fraudsters try to take advantage of the publicity to scam the public out of their hard-earned money. Please pass this information to any veterans that you know.

 

 

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/02/sign-over-portion-your-va-benefits-nope-thats-scam

 

Department of Veterans Affairs:

https://www.va.gov/

 

USA Today:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/09/layoffs-veterans-affairs-trump-doge-cuts/82143525007/

 

Reuters:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/memo-says-mass-layoffs-veterans-affairs-will-begin-early-june-2025-03-09/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Moller

South Snohomish County Crime Watch

Email: snohomishcrimewatch@outlook.com   

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ssnoccrimewatch   

Blog: https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/  

 

Crime Mapping for Snohomish County: http://communitycrimemap.com/  

 

You can also report suspicious activity or information about past criminal activity by calling:

 

The Sheriff’s Tip Line at (425) 388-3845.

 

Or going to the Sheriff’s Office web page at:

http://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/303/Anonymous-Tips   

 

SCAM ALERT- Sheriff’s Office Warns of Scam Targeting Friends, Neighbors, Employers of Jail Inmates

In a Facebook post, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office recently warned county citizens that scammers are targeting friends, neighbors, employers, and acquaintances of jail inmates to collect supposed bail money for the inmate.

The scammers apparently research jail registries, which are public information, for the names, addresses, employers, etc. related to the inmate. They also gather information on the inmate’s social and employment circle. The scammers will call individuals in that circle telling them that they have been listed as a contact for bail, and they will send the potential victim a Zelle link for payment of the “bail.” If the victim looks up the jail registry online, they will see the name of their friend or associate in the registry since their friend/associate is currently in jail.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds all county citizens that it will never call to ask for money. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office, hang up!

 

 

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1070895531730544&set=a.226070292879743

TAX SCAMS- A Yearly Danger

One of the bread-and-butter scams that fraudsters use involves the IRS and the requirement to file our income tax returns by April 15 of every year. Fraudsters have developed several tactics to steal your money while impersonating IRS personnel or to impersonate you to claim refunds in your name.

Most of their scams involve tricking you into sending money or your personal information to the scammer who is impersonating the IRS. But one scam involves the scammer impersonating you:

·         Tax Identity Theft. Scammers will obtain your personal information such as Social Security Number, birth date, etc. They might purchase it on the dark web. Or they might obtain it from corrupt tax preparers, from phishing campaigns, hacks of tax firms or employers’ personnel records, or mail theft. They will use your information to file a tax return with the IRS early in the year to so that the IRS receives it before you file your income tax return. The fraudster will claim deductions so that they receive a refund. You will not know that they have claimed this money in your name until you receive a notice that the IRS has already received “your return.”

 

Other methods have the scammers, impersonating the IRS, contacting you to send them money:

·         Fake IRS phone calls or emails. Scammers will claim that you owe back taxes or fees then demand immediate payment with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

·         Phishing scams. Scammers send emails or texts impersonating the IRS and try to trick you into sending them your personal information.

·         Pandemic Relief Scams. Scammers will claim that you have been overpaid for Employee Retention Credits or stimulus payments that you received and demand that you repay some or all.

·         Online Tax Filing Scams. Scammers will create a fake tax filing website that will look like well known, trusted services then steal the information that you upload.

 

What can you do to prevent being victimized by a tax scammer? The National Security Alliance makes the following recommendations,

·         File your taxes as early as you can.

·         Secure your return with an IRS IP PIN. An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit code that prevents unauthorized tax filings using your Social Security number. You can apply for an IP PIN through the IRS.

·         Enable multifactor authentication (MFA). Use MFA on all tax related accounts including your IRS account.

·         Be alert to tax scams and phishing. Some red flags include:

o   Unsolicited IRS communications. The IRS never initiates contact via email, text, or social media. If the IRS wants to contact you, it will send you a letter via snail mail.

o   Urgency and threats. Scammers often use scare tactics to get you emotional, such as threats of arrest or financial penalties to get you to act quickly and without thinking.

o   Requests for sensitive information. If an email or phone call asks for your social Security number, banking details, or login credentials don’t respond. Delete the email or hang up.

o   Watch for phishing emails or texts. Inspect any emails/texts to ensure they are not a phishing email/text. Links and attachments within the message can collect your sensitive information or download malware onto your device.

·         Ask your tax preparer about their cybersecurity practices.

·         Use secure methods to send tax documents such as encrypted email or a secure file-sharing portal that your tax provider provides.

·         Back up your tax records.

 

 

Scam Busters:

https://scambusters.org/taxscam2025.html

 

United States Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/fraudulent-tax-returns-and-refunds

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tax-id/?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB4-POS7

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tax-preparation/?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB4-POS8

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/01/irs-doesnt-send-tax-refunds-email-or-text

 

IRS:

https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/recognize-tax-scams-and-fraud

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-beware-of-abusive-tax-avoidance-schemes

 

National Cybersecurity Alliance:

https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/tax-season-security-tips

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/podcast/fraudian-slip-podcast-internal-revenue-service-tax-scams-fraud/

 

 

 

MONEY MULES- A Scammer’s Trap

Scammers usually are after one or two things from their victims- their money, and/or their personal information to steal more money. Sometimes a scammer will take your money and ID then they will try to get you to help them launder the stolen money from other victims.

Laundering money is important to a fraudster to disguise the fact the money is stolen. The stolen money is moved through a series of accounts and steps to a legitimate (or legitimate seeming) account that the fraudster controls. By taking steps to hide the origins of the stolen money, the fraudster makes it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the stolen money and show that it came from a criminal enterprise.

One tool to help with this process is a money mule. Traditionally, a money mule was a person who physically moved cash from one place to another. Money mules still exist, only now they may move cash, but they also can move money electronically from one account to another.

Fraudsters can use people who they hire or control and who know they are laundering money (the FBI refers to these people as complicit). Fraudsters can also trick a person into acting as a money mule (or being an unwitting actor) through a scam such as a romance scam or through a job offer.

Job offers might be an “easy” work-at-home “opportunity” as a “finance officer” or “money processing agent.” If you take the job, you might find that all you have to do is receive money that you deposit in your own bank account from people or entities that you do not know, then transfer the money to other people or entities that you do not know.

Fraudsters also recruit money mules through romance scams. At some point, not always right away, they may ask you to accept some money in your personal account, then transfer it to someone else that you do not know.

While the fraudster may have a cover story for why he/she would like you to help move this money, its real sources come from crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, or other financial crimes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters used money mules to launder stolen relief funds such as unemployment benefits and small business loans.

Some signs of a money mule scam include,

·         You are asked to use your personal bank account or create an account in your name to receive money from someone you have never met.

·         You may be told to keep a portion of the money that they transfer.

·         Your new “employer” communicates with you via a common web-based email service such as Gmail or Microsoft Outlook.

·         You receive an unsolicited email or social media message that promises easy money for little or no effort.

Being a money mule, unwitting or complicit, can put you in serious legal jeopardy. The FBI warns that you can be prosecuted and incarcerated for participating in a criminal money laundering conspiracy. You can be charged with federal crimes such as mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. Your credit and financial standing can also be damaged. In addition, the fraudsters can steal your personal information to use in their other criminal schemes and you could be held personally liable for repaying money lost by victims. In many cases, the fraudsters who you were working for have disappeared, leaving you to hold the “bag” when law enforcement authorities knock on your door.

If you think that you are being or have been recruited to work as a money mule report it to,

·         The Washington State Attorney General’s Office- https://www.atg.wa.gov/contactus.aspx

·         The FBI-

o   Internet Crime complaint Center- https://www.ic3.gov/

o   Seattle Field Office- https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/seattle

·         Federal Trade Commission- https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

·         United States Postal Inspection Service, if the scammers contacted you through the mail-

o   Call- 877-876-2455

o   Or file online- https://www.uspis.gov/report

 

 

  

 

United States Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/money-mule

 

Federal Bureau of Investigation:

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/money-mules

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/money-mule-scams/

 

AARP The Perfect Scam-

While I have been focusing on money mules, people can be recruited to move other illegal goods such as stolen merchandise or illegal drugs. This episode describes how easy it is to get caught up in becoming a mule and the serious consequences if apprehended, in this case a foreign country.

https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/info-2025/blind-mule-drug-trafficking-scam.html

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/03/whats-money-mule-scam

 

South Snohomish County Crime Watch-

https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2019/12/money-mules-helping-scammers-steal.html

 

Investopedia-

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/moneylaundering.asp