Some Tips to Remember: If the pitch is by e-mail, delete it.

To Report Fraud & Scams: How Not to Become a • If it seems to good to be true, it FBI/Internet Fraud Complaint Center: probably is. 1-800-251-3221 or www.ifccfbi.gov Victim of • If it comes from Canada, Europe, Africa, Federal Trade Commission at or Asia, it is probably a scam. www.FTC.gov/ftc/consumer To report fraud/scams originating from • If you didn’t enter, how can you Canada, go to www.Phonebusters.com win? It’s also illegal to enter out of SCAMS country lotteries—you can be arrested! For additional information on Scams and to read more about the various types of • English, grammar, and spelling are scams both old and new, go to usually very bad. If the pitch comes in the www.onguardonline.gov form of a telephone call, the scammer www.atg.wa.gov may have a foreign accent. www.aarp.org (search for “scams”) • Even if you are given a telephone number and address, the telephone is probably a These sites have excellent throw away cell phone (untraceable) and information on all sorts of scams and are the address is probably non-existent. updated regularly.

• Remember, these people always want you If you haven’t already done so, you to WIRE them money, not mail a check. may want to sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Once on this list, • Never provide any personal information, such as social security number, credit telemarketers are not supposed to call card or bank account information over the you. You can register via internet with phone or internet to someone who has the FTC, or phone 1-888-382-1222. This rarely, if ever, solved WALLA WALLA POLICE contacted you. Contact your bank, is a free service. Unfortunately, these scams are DEPARTMENT credit card company or other business as most of the 15 N. 3RD AVENUE and ask if they have requested this scammers are out of the country. Do not WALLA WALLA, WA 99362 information over the internet or phone. feel bad about hanging up on someone (509) 527-4434 Remember, they already your who calls you wanting money or information—they don’t need to personal information. ask for it again. These people are smooth. If you receive IF YOU ARE ASKED TO WIRE MONEY IT a phone call, they will try to be your best IS A SCAM. IF YOU RECEIVE A CHECK FOR OVER THE AMOUNT, IT IS A SCAM. friend and pretend they are working in your NEVER WIRE MONEY TO ANYONE YOU best interest. If you decline their offer, they DON’T PERSONALLY KNOW FOR ANY may turn pushy and threatening; just hang REASON. up. What is a Scam? sweepstakes or lotteries (state lotteries) don’t the agent requires money up front to ship require you to pay “taxes” or fees in advance. or pick up the item. The buyer states that

Remember he will send you a check for $3,000.00 to A scam is any means someone uses to If you didn’t enter the lottery or contest, $4,000.00 over the purchase price or 3 or get you to part with your money. A scam how could you win? 4 US Postal Money Orders and would you can occur over the telephone, through the please wire the excess amount to his mail, over the internet, or in person. Most “Phishing” Scams: agent. These are counterfeit at best. scams originate from Canada, Europe, Internet or phone scammers cast about for Once the “buyer” has your money, you Asia, and Africa and are virtually your financial information, thus, it is called will never hear from him again. impossible to solve or discover who the “phishing”. In a phishing scam, an e-mail Do not ever deposit or cash a scammer is. which appears to be from a legitimate company check for anything over the original Below are some of the more popular or bank informs the recipient their account may amount—it is a scam! scams and how they operate. have become compromised or they have lost information. The recipient is directed to click on Grandparent Scam: Lottery/Contest Scams: a link. The victims are then forwarded to a You receive a “panic” call from your It begins with an email, phone call or Website that appears identical to the legitimate “grandchild” who claims to be injured or in letter claiming you have won a lottery or one. The fraudulent Website requires the victim jail in Canada. In order to get out of the contest. You are to contact a claims agent to enter personal and account information in hospital/jail, you must wire money to a to get further instructions, usually at an e- order to verify their account. The victim is told friend. The scammers are hoping that you mail address or telephone number. You that if the information is not provided, the will say something like “Is this John (or contact the agent who either sends you a account will be suspended. Any information Mary)?” to which they reply “yes”. The check which claims to be part of your provided can then be used by criminals to make asking price is anywhere from $1,500.00 winnings to cover “administrative fees and purchases or open new accounts in the victim's to $5,000.00. Verify: CALL your relative taxes” or asks you to use your own name. Some of the more popular businesses or relative’s parents/spouse to find out money. used are banks, e-Bay, PayPal, the IRS, among where you “grandchild” or other relative is. The check you receive is usually on a others. Legitimate businesses will never These calls usually come late at night, U.S. company, even though the scam use the internet to obtain information in attempting to catch you off guard. comes from Australia or Canada. The this manner. check most often has no telephone Work at Home:/Secret Shopper number, either for the bank or the U.S. Internet Auctions: You answer a help wanted ad for a company it is drawn on (difficult to verify You’ve advertised a car, boat, horse, or “bookkeeper” to cash and deposit checks the check). You will be asked to deposit other big ticket item on one of the many for out of country businesses. You will be the check and wire a certain percentage, internet auction or sale sites. You get an e-mail able to keep a percentage of the money usually about 75%. The checks are from someone who just happens to be after you wire a couple of thousand counterfeit and have no value whatsoever. overseas right now, either visiting or living dollars back to the “business”. Secret If you deposit the check and take cash there and they want to purchase your sale Shopper just wants you to wire the back, your bank will/can hold you item. They tell you they have an agent in the cash—you are not “secret shopping” - you responsible for paying back the money U.S. who will pick up the item. Once a couple are providing the scammers with money. withdrawn. If you get any type of lottery of e-mails have gone back and forth, the buyer notification, ignore it. Legitimate says that he owes some money to the agent or