New Scam Hitting Yakima, With Alleged Police App
When my buddy Chris posted on his Facebook page, telling people not to worry about him, I naturally worried.
Then, I read what happened, and I laughed.
Then, I REALLY read what happened and felt concerned.
Apparently, a new type of scam is floating around, and like many of them, it is targeting older people, but they're getting clever by claiming that a loved one of the victims is locked up and in need of money.
Chris's Scam Post on Facebook
"So, I found out today that some dude is calling around saying he's a sheriff from Snohomish saying I'm in jail for fighting a cop last night at 3 am… stating you can sign up for a program to bail me out."
Luckily, my buddy is a good guy, so the thought of him fighting a cop is laughable.
Fighting anyone might be a stretch, then you add to the fact that it was in Snohomish, and it's all the makings of a good scam.
I reached out to him for more info on what exactly happened:
According to Chris, the scammer called two of his family members with the story that it was a 3 am incident at a hospital fighting a police officer.
The scammer then informed the victims that there was an easy app for them to download and use to pay his bail so he could be out and home by Christmas.
"It's a targeted attack doing public record searches for people and elderly parents, or even for people without spouses." – Chris (my friend and allegedly devious criminal).
The fact that the scammer called two of my friend's family members with the same story is wild. Chris reached out to the Snohomish Police Department, and they agreed that it was a scam and to report it to our local PD, which his family members did.
U.S. Custom Scams Targeting Yakima Residents
When in doubt, whether it is good news or bad news, if it sounds unbelievable, and the person on the other end of the phone is asking for money, it is a scam.
Hang up, call the people who are supposedly involved to check on them, and alert authorities.
Have you had one of these calls? What did you do? Tap the App and let us know.
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Gallery Credit: Big Joe Pesh