CENTRALIA, Wash. — Warning to residents in Thurston and Lewis County about a scammer impersonating an officer and calling people to demand money.
The latest scam to flood the state is not new or the only one happening at this time, but the details, the names, and the counties may have changed.
This year alone, victims have lost tens of thousands of dollars, and some have even been scammed out of more than half a million dollars through new sophisticated methods of tricking innocent people out of their money.
Or perhaps you’ve encountered the notorious unpaid toll scam that has plagued the state.
This time, Sergeant David Rainy of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, who does not exist, is calling people in Lewis and Thurston counties about existing warrants.
According to the Centralia Police Department, a resident called to report that this nonexistent person called and told the victim that she had failed to appear in court and had warrants out for her arrest.
The scammer told the victim that she would go to jail unless she sent $500 online to avoid being locked up.
Police said the victim decided to make some calls to verify before she agreed to send any money and learned it was a scam. The victim then reported it to police.
In a Facebook post, Centralia Police wrote:
If you ever get a call, email or text telling you that you have a warrant or an overdue toll bill or an undeliverable package, it’s probably not true, and it’s always good to verify before sending money in any form to anyone you don’t know. Also, law enforcement will NEVER call to ask you to pay any kind of bail or fine over the phone, ever.
If you want to learn how to reduce unwanted calls and junk mail, the Secretary of State website provides information that can help alleviate some of the inconveniences.
If you want to report a scam, the USA.gov website can help you find where to report it by answering a few simple questions.
Don’t become a victim of scams and make sure elderly family members know what to look out for.
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