SPOKANE, Wash. – Falling victim to a scam can happen as quickly as engaging with a text, email, or unsolicited phone call. These brief interactions can lead to serious challenges that may take years to resolve.
We spoke with Karen Olson at Manito Park about her experience with a scam attempt. She shared her story of receiving a text message from someone claiming to be with her cable company.
“So I called them and the guy says, well, we can save you some money,” Olson said.
The offer was for what the caller referred to as premium channel options.
Olson explained, “Well, he had an accent, so I thought he was saying foreign channels.”
However, the conversation took a disturbing turn.
“He was saying porn channels, and I said, no, I don’t want porn channels at all,” Olson stated.
After she declined the offer, the unknown man persisted.
“He said, well, why not? And I said, because I don’t like them,” Olson added.
The caller then asked about her daughter, which Olson found alarming since she does not have a daughter.
“And at that point I said, I’m done, I stopped talking and cut off the phone call,” she said.
Tara Baney, another Spokane resident, had a different experience. Her encounter with scammers began with unauthorized charges from out of state.
“One was like $50, and I think one was like $80…I mean it’s still not okay,” Baney said.
She acted quickly, but since her information was compromised, she had to cancel debit cards and open a new bank account.
“You call your bank, and you tell them, and then all of a sudden you got to start all over with brand new card, everything,” Baney explained.
“That’s the problem because you got everything on self-pay. So it’s more of just the nightmare of starting over.”
Baney also recalled another scam attempt when someone called offering to buy her house for cash.
“And I’m like, it’s not for sale,” she said.
Baney emphasized the need for caution when browsing real estate sites like Zillow, as they can also be targets for scammers.
“I mean, it’s happened in bigger cities and then it’s like a real problem at that point, like it’s hard to fight your way out of that,” Baney added.
These stories are just a few examples of the numerous scam reports the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office receives. They reported that in just the first few months of this year, people in Washington lost more than $38 million to scammers.
Every age group is affected, with no single group being statistically more susceptible. Olson and Baney both took action to protect themselves.
“I have blocked them. But, you know, it’s one of those things that no matter what you do, there’s always like another guy around the corner,” Baney said.
Olson found satisfaction in her response, saying, “To be honest, that took me great pleasure in shutting him down.”
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office advises residents to remain vigilant. If unsure, they recommend verifying any suspicious interactions. If you become a victim, they urge filing a police report to help combat scammers.
