SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Scammers Are Back

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Scammers Are Back

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public that scammers are impersonating law enforcement or court personnel demanding money over the phone. Labeled the “warrant” scam, the scammers claim that there is a warrant for your arrest and that you will be taken to jail if you do not pay them money, usually via gift cards. The scammers are also asking to verify personal information such as Social Security Numbers and bank account information.

On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office received 5 reports of this scam within an hour.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone that no law enforcement or court personnel will EVER call you to demand money over the phone. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from local law enforcement or the court, demanding immediate payment, HANG UP!

Please pass this information to your friends, family, and neighbors.

In addition to reporting scams to the Sheriff’s Office, you can also report a scam or fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoSheriff/photos/a.318645198209560/5085827104824655/?__cft__[0]=AZWmt0w5iVrHlJjaiNlqiVwVfX5If7bdfod6-E79Gp0qQuZKCyQ336vUHhcKHA--WGhP0ixLGAEYbMYL8RHFQFPwqmXv6QJWKUOOdPjuf3aGN6_9qXQfbywkgrjuYa3crPxyNClG0KhCPBuJPpAfWSEA&__tn__=EH-R

SCAM UPDATE – New Web Site to Report Fraud to the FTC, Scams on Social Media, and Social Engineering

New Web Site to Report Fraud to the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a new website where you can report scams and fraud. The FTC says that it streamlined the website and make it more user-friendly. It included a new feature that suggests next steps when you file a report.

The FTC uses this information to charge scammers in civil suits. It also shares the information with over 3,000 law enforcement agencies who can make criminal charges. The information is also used to determine fraud trends and to educate the public about fraud and scams.

To report a scam or fraud go to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/10/ftc-announces-new-fraud-reporting-platform-consumers

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0212-how-report-fraud-reportfraudftcgov

 

Rise of Scams on Social Media. The FTC has revealed that reported scams originating on social media have more than tripled in the first half of 2020. In that half of the year, people reported losing more than $117 million to scams on social media as compared to $134 million for all of 2019.

94% of people reporting the scams said that they found them on Facebook and Instagram.

Scams found on social media included online shopping, romance scams, economic relief, and income opportunities.

The FTC recommends,

·         Before you buy based on an ad or post, check out the company. Type its name in a search engine with words like or “scam” or “complaint.”

·         Never send money to a love interest you have not met in person.

·         If you get a message from a friend about a way to get some financial relief, call them. Did they forward it to you? If not, tell them their account may have been hacked. If so, check it out before you act.

·         Before paying into an “opportunity” to earn money, check out www.ftc.gov/mlm.

·         Don’t make it easy for scammers to target you – check your social media privacy settings to limit what you share publicly.

 

If you encounter a scam report it to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.

 

FTC:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/10/ftc-data-shows-big-jump-consumer-reports-about-scams-originating

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2020/10/scams-starting-social-media-proliferate-early-2020

 

Have you been the victim of social engineering? Social engineering is “the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes.”

Social engineering is often talked about in the context of business espionage or theft, in an attempt to insert malware that can collect sensitive information about the business, extort money from the business through ransomware, or outright theft of money by tricking employees to send funds to the scammer. Social engineering can also be used against consumers by impersonating a government official to trick the consumer into giving over personal information or their money.

Social engineering often occurs through emails through phishing, or phone calls through vishing, or text messages through smishing.

To avoid becoming a victim of social engineering,

·         Learn more about social engineering and its tactics.

·         Be sure you know who the source of any message is. If you receive a message that is unusual contact the sender via a different method. For example, if you receive an email, call the sender. Look up the phone number from another source such as a web search. Don’t use the phone number in the email without verifying it first.

·         Be sure your anti-virus software and other applications are up to date.

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/how-identity-thieves-use-social-engineering/?utm_source=TMI20200727&utm_medium=TMIEmail&utm_campaign=TMISocialEngineering

 

FTC:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/scams-your-small-business-guide-business

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2020/12/ransomware-prevention-update-businesses

ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENT SCAMS – New Economic Impact Payments Give Scammers More Opportunity

With Congress’ latest authorization of an up to $600 payment to eligible taxpayers, federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are warning citizens about scammers trying to take advantage of the payments.

The first round of stimulus payments brought scammers out to take your money and your identity. And you can expect that scammers will take advantage of this new round of payments.

The IRS has issued a statement explaining the process for this second round. It emphasizes that there is nothing you need to do to receive your payment. Most payments will be via direct deposit to bank accounts based in information that the IRS has in your record. If the IRS does not have account information for you, it will send you a check or debit card. For more information about the process and how to check on your payment check out the news release below.

The FTC warns citizens that they fully expect scammers to contact citizens to try to fool them into giving over their money or their personal information. The FTC says the following,

·       The government won’t ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. Anyone who does is a scammer.

·       The government won’t call, text, email, or contact you on social media to ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.

·       There’s no such thing as getting your money early, or faster. Anyone who says they can hook you up now (or soon) is both lying and a scammer.

The FTC encourages everyone to warn your family and friends about the potential for scams and to report to the FTC if you are contacted by a scammer. You can report scams to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.

The IRS emphasizes that the “official” term for the payments is “economic impact payment” and that you should be wary of anyone who does not use that terminology or who refers to the payments as “stimulus check” or “stimulus payment.”

Another technique that scammers might use is to send you a check for an odd amount. Depending on your eligibility, you may not receive a full payment of $600. But a warning sign, might be receiving a check for an odd amount, especially of the check includes cents, and then you are asked to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it. Another, older scam, is to send a check that is over an agreed to amount, then the scammer asks that you send the difference to him. After a while, your bank discovers that the check is a bad check and leaves you stuck for the whole amount.

The fact that federal agencies are warning the public about potential economic impact payment scams shows that scammers keep up with the news to take advantage of the latest situation. While the federal government has been keeping track of the latest trends in scams related to COVID-19 and economic impact payments and has a good idea of scammer tactics, do not be surprise if scammers put a new twist to their current methods.

 

  

 

 

 

Internal Revenue Service News Release:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-and-irs-begin-delivering-second-round-of-economic-impact-payments-to-millions-of-americans

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/12/more-money-government

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/stimulus-payment-scams-expected-with-new-relief-package/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=TMIEmail122220&utm_campaign=TMINewStimulusCheck

 

CNET:

https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/these-8-stimulus-check-scams-are-out-to-get-you-heres-how-to-spot-them/