SEQUIM — The Sequim Police Department is cautioning city residents to remain vigilant in the wake of several phone scam reports.
The scammers claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service and demand payment for tax money owed, Deputy Chief Sheri Crane said.
“Monday and Tuesday, I know that our front office and the city front office took probably at least two dozen phone calls from people letting us know that the phone calls are happening,” Crane said Wednesday.
Similar one in PT
A similar scam was reported in Port Townsend early this month.
Sequim police have not seen a specific demographic being targeted, Crane said.
The public is advised to be cautious and to never give personal information over the phone, she said.
“Do the research. Ask the questions. You can always hang up and . . . call the IRS if you are truly worried,” she said.
As of Wednesday, there had been no reports of Sequim residents losing money to the scam, Crane said.
“I think the citizens are getting more and more educated. Nobody is actually falling for it — giving people money or personal information,” she said.
Such phone scams “are incredibly common,” Crane said.
The threat is “constant, so we like to periodically put out these reminders. Don’t fall for them.”
Other scams include callers claiming a family member is in trouble and needs money, she said.
“Hang up and call a relative you actually know,” said Crane. “Most of the time, the scams can’t hold up to any kind of scrutiny.”
Crane encourages city residents who receive such phone calls to make a report with the Sequim Police Department at 360-683-7227 so officers can monitor trends.
“It is nice for us to know that these scams are happening in the community, so we would encourage people to let us know,” she said.
The state Attorney General’s Office also has set up an online blog at www.atg.wa.gov where consumers can report phone scams.
And while it appears that many of the phone scam attempts originate outside of the state or country, information provided to the police or Attorney General’s Office can be passed along to state and federal law enforcement agencies who have the ability to investigate further, Crane said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
