Sheriff Warns of Scam Texts Posing as Deputy Lt. Martin

The Yakima County Sheriff's Office is hoping you won't fall for the latest phone/text scam making the rounds around the area.

THE SCAMMERS TARGET THE ELDERLY

Officials say scammers have been texting victims while posing as Deputy Lt. Martin. However it's a scam and if you click on the link the scammers could install malware on your computer or you could become a victim of a phishing attempt to gain your financial information or identity. Sheriff's officials say you can take three steps to protect yourself;

1. Block, delete, and report junk in your messaging app.
2. Forward the message to your carrier’s spam number, such as 7726 (SPAM)
3. Report to reportfraud.ftc.gov
#spamtext #CommunityNotice #blockdelete  #7726

THAT'S NOT THE ONLY SCAM TO BEWARE OF THERE'S ANOTHER SCAM THAT'S POPULAR IN YAKIMA COUNTY

Another scam that's been popular and will likely be back because the scam finds victims. A scammer calls and identifies himself as a Deputy with the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. The scammer says you have a felony warrant and that you must pay a sum of money to resolve the issue.

REAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SIMPLY DOESN'T OPERATE LIKE THIS

Sheriff's officials emphasize that legitimate law enforcement would never request payment for legal matters. Local authorities clarify that anyone receiving such calls or texts should be cautious, as they do not contact individuals by phone regarding warrants or legal issues. The sheriff's office warns, “Your intelligence is your best defense against these scammers.” They urge people to tell parents and grandparents because the scammers target the elderly.