Hang Up on “Randy”: Don’t Fall For The Jury Duty Scam!

Scams happen all the time in Yakima County because the scammers find numerous victims. Scammers are busy this week in Yakima County with another threatening jury duty scam.

"RANDY" CALLS YOU AND SOUNDS THREATENING

This time the scammer leaves a message and identifies himself as "Randy Baker" and that he has a very important legal matter to speak to you about. A press release from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office says "Randy" is definitely a scammer who is trying to get you to pay money using Zelle or gift cards by threatening to arrest you. The scammer says you've missed a jury notice or summons and that you can pay a fine or go to jail.

SO WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET A CALL OR A MESSAGE FROM "RANDY"

Deputies say if you get the call just hang up, block or ignore the scammer. The press release says "remember, the best defense against scams is to be proactive. Well-known scams are always too good to be true or too threatening."

PLENTY OF THINGS TO WATCH FOR...OR RED FLAGS

The Deputies say the scammers are always urgent, not giving you time to react or think, like the jury, social security, and IRS scams. Many times the scammers demand money threatening with arrest and that scares a lot of people into action especially the elderly. The reason why Deputies urge you to tell your grandparents or other older friends or family members in your life about the scam.

WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE

If you receive texts that you didn’t ask for, report the sender by forwarding them to 7726 (or "SPAM"). If the unwanted call is an IRS scam, you can file your complaint with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at www.tigta.gov or call 1-800-366-4484.

ALWAYS REPORT THE SCAMMERS TO AUTHORITIES

You can file complaints with the FCC by going to fcc.gov/complaints.
You can register at donotcall.gov or by calling 1 888-382-1222 from the phone number you wish to register.
For more information and resources, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website. If you lost money to a phone scam, report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov