ALERT! Scammers Looking for Victims in Yakima

ALERT! The Yakima County Sheriff's Office is warning of a scam happening in Yakima. They say the scammers may be very convincing as they identify themselves as United State's Marshal Service or USMS. Sheriff's officials say they sound convincing with badge numbers, names of real police, and spoofed phone numbers that could look legitimate on caller ID but they're not real.

The scammers can be convincing but USMS would never demand money

The scammers identify themselves as federal authorities then demand financial information while saying you have an outstanding ticket or other debt that needs to be paid. Authorities say that's the red flag. They say the real US Marshals Service would never call and ask you for any type of credit, debit or gift card numbers, wire transfer or bank account numbers. If you get the call hang up!

Scams come back every year in Yakima because they find victims

Other popular scams that happen every year in Yakima including email scams. Like other scams that try and lure people through an urgent message the scam email says "our records indicate that a shipment addressed to you may have been fraudulently signed for" it goes on to say "in order to recover your shipment, we must ask you to review the following fraud report here." The scammers are hoping you'll click on the link so they can infect your computer with malware that will steal valuable information.
If you get the UPS fraud email especially when you aren't expecting anything from the company delete it. You can also report the email to fraud@ups.com.

A scam that can scare some is still haunting some in Yakima

The emails are titled "court summons notification." The email says you are suspected of violating a federal law and that you have a related hearing you'll need to attend within the next week. You're also given a case number and a chance to contact the so called court through a link in the email. If you click on the link you'll be shown a fake court document but you'll also open up your computer to the scammers.

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