The Asotin County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about recent scams that resulted in the theft of “tens of thousands of dollars.”
In a news release issued Monday, Detective Jackie Nichols said the county has received several reports of scams from Asotin County residents.
The scams have a similar theme, where the scammer uses pop-ups, advertisements or fake emails on the victim’s computers to engage with them. The scammer convinces the victims of problems with their computer or bank account, and manages to convince the victims to give them information which allows the scammer to control their computer.
According to police, the scammers provide links, names and phone numbers which appear to be legitimate but are not. The victims are convinced to withdraw large sums of cash from their banks and instructed to lie to the bank about why.
They also convince victims to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards from local stores and lie if questioned at the check-out stand, Nichols said. The scammers gain the trust of the victims and convince them not to tell anyone. The scammers often tell the person there is an element of illegal activity associated with their account and they could be in trouble.
The Asotin County Sheriff’s Office urges residents not to have unsolicited conversations online or by phone with persons claiming to be from Microsoft, their bank, the IRS or other businesses. The scammers have become increasingly efficient at convincing people to send them money, she said.
“Legitimate businesses will not ask you to lie to your bank, your family, your friends or ask you to buy gift cards or send cash anywhere.”
Another reported scam involves residents receiving phone calls saying they have an arrest warrant out of Asotin County, and the scammers have gone as far as to use local judges’ and officers’ names to convince people to send money electronically.
“You will never be asked to send money for missing jury duty or due to an arrest warrant, and if someone is trying to convince you otherwise, it is a scam,” Nichols said in the release.
The scammers use a sense of urgency to get people to act. Legitimate businesses will not object to you taking time to check with law enforcement or local banking branches to verify who they are. When in doubt, always stop the engagement immediately, police advised.
For more information or to file a complaint with the FBI regarding Internet scams, visit the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3 at ic3.gov.
To make a police report, contact the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office at (509) 758-233
