WASHINGTON STATE PATROL – Missing Indigenous Person Alert System (MIPA)

Washington State is adding missing indigenous persons to its Endangered Missing Alerts System. The system has included AMBER Alerts for missing children, SILVER alerts for missing seniors, and ENDANGERED MISSING PERSON Alerts for endangered missing adults.

The Missing Indigenous Person Alert System (MIPA) will send notices of missing indigenous persons to law enforcement agencies and the public through the WSDOT informational signs and the highway advisory radio system, among other methods. Eventually, the alerts will be sent to cell phones in the state.

Indigenous persons go missing at a higher level than the general population. The Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit (MUPU) reports 128 missing indigenous persons in Washington State as of June 13. According to the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle, indigenous women are more than four times as likely to disappear than white women in the state of Washington. There can be jurisdictional issues that hamper an investigation and search for a missing indigenous person. The MIPA system is an attempt to alleviate some of these issues and give publicity to missing indigenous persons that other classes of missing persons have been receiving.

WSP emphasizes that if a friend or family is missing to report the fact that they are missing immediately. In the State of Washington there is no wait time to report a missing person. Report the missing person to the law enforcement agency where they were last seen.

An alert will be activated if

·         An indigenous person is missing due to unexplained, involuntary, or suspicious circumstances and/or is believed to be in danger because of age, health, adverse weather, or other circumstances and is believed to be unable to return to safety without assistance.

·         There is enough descriptive information available that could reasonably assist with the safe recovery of the person such as: photos, height, weight, age, hair color, distinguishing physical characteristics, clothing, etc.

·         The incident has been reported to and is being investigated by law enforcement.

 

 

 

Washington State Patrol:

https://www.wsp.wa.gov/2022/06/30/state-launches-m-i-p-a-missing-indigenous-person-alert-system/

 

            Missing & Unidentified Persons Unit-

https://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/alerts-missing-persons/

 

Missing Person Reporting- This brochure gives simple steps to take if your friend or loved one is missing,

https://www.wsp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/323007_Missing_Person_Reporting_7-21.pdf

 

Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/wa-launches-first-in-nation-missing-indigenous-person-alert-system/#Echobox=1656689755-1

 

KING TV:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/community/facing-race/missing-indigenous-person-alert-washington-state/281-5409b732-e65a-432a-8583-354d54f12468

 

The Herald:

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/washington-launches-new-indigenous-missing-person-alert-system/

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Warning to Stay Hydrated with Upcoming Weekend Heatwave

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging everyone in Snohomish County to stay hydrated this weekend when 80-to-90-degree temperatures have been forecast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Special Weather Statement this morning warning of rapid heating over the weekend from our cool wet spring. The NWS says that with the cool spring, we have not had a chance to acclimate to the warmer weather and could be caught off guard with the rapid rise in temperatures.

It also points out that the water in rivers and lakes remain cool averaging between 40-50 degrees. Anyone who fall into the water could quickly suffer cold water shock and hypothermia endangering their lives.

The Sheriff’s Office recommends,

·         Wear sunscreen.

·         Do not leave your pets in the car.

·         Stay out of rivers, river waters are running swift and cold.

·         While boating, always wear a life jacket.

Other actions to take during the hot weather include:

·         Drink plenty of water, even if you are not thirsty.

·         Take frequent rest breaks in the shade or air conditioning.

·         Bring pets indoors and give them plenty of shade and water.

·         Check on your neighbors and family members.

 

 

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=394728006013970&set=a.226070289546410

 

National Weather Service:

https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=WAZ556&warncounty=WAC033&firewxzone=WAZ657&local_place1=2%20Miles%20WNW%20Woodinville%20WA&product1=Special+Weather+Statement&lat=47.7555&lon=-122.1544#.YrSg2UbMKUk

 

 

 

SCAM TRENDS– Cryptocurrencies Becoming a Scammer Favorite

When scammers look to take your money, they want to be paid in a way that the victim cannot recover their funds. Gift cards have received a lot of publicity by crime prevention and consumer protection agencies because once you have given over the card or the card number to a scammer, it is almost impossible to get your money back.

Recently I reported an observation by the AARP Fraud Watch Network that scammers are using cryptocurrency more to take money from their victims. Cryptocurrency is another form of payment that does not have many protections for the person making payments.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently issued a report that shows cryptocurrency is becoming the payment method of choice for scammers. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has also detected this trend.

According to the FTC, consumers reported losing over $1 billion to fraud that involved cryptocurrencies. That is one in every four dollars lost to fraud are paid in cryptocurrency.

Scammers have numerous ways to use cryptocurrency in their scams. The FTC notes that the number one scheme is through investment scams involving the currency. A total loss of $575 million has been lost to cryptocurrency investment fraud from January 2021 through March 2022. Scammers claim big returns by “investing” in the new currency. But the “investors” only lose everything that they have paid to the scammer.

Romance scams are the next favorite scam. Scammers entice their “love interest” to invest in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency romance scam victims lost $185 million.

Next is some sort of impersonation scam with the scammer claiming to be from a well-known business or government entity. The scammer claims that the victim’s money is at risk due to fraud or a government investigation with the only way to protect their money is to convert it to cryptocurrency. Consumers lost $133 million in crypto losses.

Scammers contact their victims through an ad, post, or message on social media. In the reports that the FTC has collected, those who specified the platform where the scam began, 32% said they saw it on Instagram, 26% on Facebook, 9% on WhatsApp, and 7% on Telegram.

The demographics of who has lost money is interesting. According to the FTC, people between 20 to 49 “…were more than three times as likely as older age groups to have reported losing cryptocurrency to a scammer.” People in their 30’s were hit hardest, with 35% reporting a median loss of $3,200. People in their 70’s, while only 10% reported a loss, lost the most with a median loss of $11,708.

The FTC concludes the following about cryptocurrency scams:

·         Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns.

·         No one legitimate will insist that you buy or pay in cryptocurrency.

·         If an online love interests asks you to send them money in cryptocurrency or claims you can make a killing investing in crypto, pull the plug, find someone else.

 

 

South Snohomish County Crime Watch:

https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2022/05/scam-update-scammers-continue-to-adapt.html

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2022/06/reports-show-scammers-cashing-crypto-craze#crypto9

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-scams

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/06/new-analysis-finds-consumers-reported-losing-more-1-billion-cryptocurrency-scams-2021

 

Better Business Bureau:

https://bbbfoundation.images.worldnow.com/library/259c7333-0fb3-4bc0-a059-4b116594c473.pdf

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/cryptocurrency.html

 

SCAM UPDATE– Scammers Continue to Adapt Their Tactics

Scammers continue to be clever in how they scam people throughout the world. They constantly tie their scams to world and local events. They also take advantage of the latest technology, and they take advantage of any trends that will let them steal money or identities of honest people.

What does not change is their tactic of trying to put their victims “under the either” meaning getting their victims emotional so that they do not think logically. They may try to instill fear in you, posing as your utility company claiming they your power is about to be shut off or claiming to be from Microsoft and saying you have a dangerous virus in your computer. They might try to get you excited posing as an investment broker with a can’t-miss investment opportunity. Or they might try to instill feelings of love in a romance scam to get you to pay to help your long-distance boyfriend or girlfriend.

AARP says that it has seen scammers use crypto currency more in recent months. Like with gift cards or wire transfers, once the money is sent to the scammer, there is no way to get crypto currency back.

An example of how scammers can use crypto currency in their scams is in donating to help people in Ukraine. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has seen in increase in this scam since the government of Ukraine announced that it would accept donations in crypto currency. Scammers will solicit donations, claiming that the funds will go to the people of Ukraine while instead pocketing the money in their own crypto wallets.

Crypto currencies can be used in investment scams or other scams that require some sort of payment. If someone contacts you and insists on payment in crypto currency, it is a scam.

AARP has also seen scammers fuse scams. For example, a scammer might pose as being from Amazon and claim that they need to verify your identity. Instead of asking for your account numbers and other personal information, they might try to convince you to let them into your computer. A simple identity theft turns into an opportunity to insert malware that takes your personal information and harvests the contacts on your computer or uses your computer in a botnet.

Scammers try to get you emotional. They also prey on people who may have gone through a recent trauma in their life such as losing a loved one, losing a job, or having financial difficulties. The COVID pandemic has provided plenty of opportunity for us to be anxious and worried. And with the lock downs imposed early in the pandemic, many people have been isolated from their friends and loved ones.

The AARP and Volunteers of America (VOA) have teamed up with a new program that is intended to help you recover from trauma. Called ReST for Resilience Strength Time, ReST originated from a similar VOA program designed to help military veterans. ReST is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has created uncertainty and chaos with many people feeling that they have lost control and feeling confused, frustrated, sad, worried, angry, or defeated. This can affect first responders, medical personnel, or someone who has been taking care of a loved one with COVID or someone who has been scammed. For more information about ReST check out the following links,

AARP:

 https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/voa-rest-program/?cmp=RDRCT-62f39e08-20210528

 

Volunteers of America:

https://www.voa.org/rest

 

For more information about scams, checkout the following links,

 

AARP:

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

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/03/donating-crypto-watch-out-scams

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-scams

 

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission:

https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/general-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-alerts/digital-asset

https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/spotlight/directors-take/thinking-about-buying-latest-new-cryptocurrency-or

 

Norton/LifeLock:

https://www.nortonlifelock.com/blogs/security-response/tech-support-scams

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Safety in the Mountains

The latest issue of the Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention newsletter, “Partners in Crime Prevention,” has been posted. In this issue, the Sheriff’s Office notes the popularity of hiking and enjoying the mountains over the last couple of years. It makes recommendations on how you can prepare for a safe and enjoyable experience.

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6841

IDENTITY THEFT – Recovering Your Good Name

There has been a lot of emphasis by organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and AARP and others on preventing identity theft. But what can you do if you discover that someone has stolen your identity and is using it in a way that that harms you?

If you take the recommended measures to prevent identity theft you will have reduced your chances of being victimized by an identity thief. But there is still a chance that your personal information can be stolen. Identity thieves can purchase your information on the dark web from someone who has copied it in a computer breach from a company or organization.

In that case, an identity thief can use your name to apply for a credit card, take out a loan, or a number of other things that can negatively affect your credit. When you find out that someone is using your good name to do bad things, you need to act.

The FTC points out that having a copy of the records about the ID theft from the company where it happened and information about the thief who used your personal information would help straighten out the situation. And the FTC also points out that you have a right to that information according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq).

It recommends writing the company where the fraud took place for information about your case. With your request include the following,

·         Proof of your identity, such as a copy of your driver’s license or other valid form of government identification.

·         A completed FTC Identity Theft Report from https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/.

·         A police report about the identity theft from your local police department. When you file the police report, bring your ID, the FTC Identity Theft Report, and any information you have about the incident with you.

The IdentityTheft.gov web site can give you guidance on the steps that you need to take to recovery from your identity theft.

You may want to talk to someone for guidance. Two non-profit organizations offer free help,

·         The AARP Fraud Watch Network has a free helpline, (877) 908-3360, where you can report the ID theft or other scam and ask specific questions about your situation. The hotline is available Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm ET. It also has a wealth of information about scams and fraud at its website- http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-watch-network/

·         Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) also has a free helpline, (888) 400-5530. The hotline is available Monday through Friday, 6am to 5pm PST. ITRC concentrates primarily on identity theft, but it also has a wealth of information on the subject at its website- https://www.idtheftcenter.org/.

Knowing where you can get help, should you be victimized by an identity thief, is as important as preventing the theft in the first place.

 

 

 

Debt.org:

https://www.debt.org/credit/your-consumer-rights/fair-credit-reporting-act/

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/

 

AARP:

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-watch-network/

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Crime Prevention Newsletter, Catalytic Converters

The latest issue of the Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention newsletter, “Partners in Crime Prevention,” has been posted.

This issue gives some updates on catalytic converter thefts and gas thefts with some prevention tips.

Check it out at,

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6825