Threats or Promises, and Your Money is Needed IMMEDIATELY to Fix or Get It, is a SCAM
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive reports of scammers trying to lie, intimidate, trick, and threaten people into giving up their hard-earned money or personal information, leaving them vulnerable to identity theft.
The “IRS Scam”, “Grandparents Scam”, “You have warrants” Scam “You missed jury duty and will be arrested” Scam and the “You’ve won a huge amount of money, but you have to send us a small fee to get it” Scam, continue to be active in our area.
Recently, “Sergeant or Lieutenant Ferguson” has been making calls threatening people with arrest because they have missed jury duty. They require payment immediately to ensure you won’t be arrested and they tell you if you hang-up, you will be arrested. They demand you immediately go purchase pre-paid credit cards or some other transaction card and demand you provided them with the numbers on the card, giving them access to steal your money. This is a SCAM!
Grandparents or some other family member receives a call from a “jail somewhere” stating a grandchild, niece, nephew or some other family member has been arrested for some fictitious crime and “If you pay immediately….” And if you pay immediately, you will save them from being charged with a crime or help them get out of jail or …..?? The is a SCAM!
A random person will call and ask you to donate to some cause. Do your homework if you want to give to help people, check the information out on your own, then decide if you still want to donate.
All of these scams are the same general story, you or someone you care about did something wrong, and if you pay immediately (usually prepaid credit cards, Apple or other gift cards, or any other financial transaction card), you will stay out of jail. They will not “allow” you to get off the phone, and they are convincing but don’t fall for this!
Nothing needs to happen immediately, check the story out on your own before you LOSE your money.
For more information about protecting your privacy, identity and online security, including how to report phishing emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with other scams and consumer information, go to the FTC website https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/.
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Corporal Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Valley Police Department
Public Information Officer