Ofc. John O'Brien, PIO
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at 4:23 p.m.
Yesterday, a Spokane citizen called Crime Check to report an attempted fraud. She received a phone call from an unknown male asking for a donation to a fund benefiting law enforcement and families of fallen law enforcement.
It was reported the male’s voice sounded recorded and asked for the donation either by a mailed envelope or an immediate donation via credit card. The citizen told the caller to send the information to her address. She was immediately transferred to the alleged billing department where she was pressured to contribute by using her credit card.
Again, the citizen asked to have the information mailed to her prompting the caller to immediately hang up.
This is a great example of a community member questioning the authenticity of an individual, group or organization asking for donations. Fortunately she is not out any money, only some time.
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) will never call you to ask for monetary donations over the phone. SPD recommends never giving out personal information (bank and credit card info, PIN numbers, passwords or your social security number) over the phone to anyone seeking money.
If you receive a suspicious call asking for a donation and you aren’t familiar with the organization or can’t verify their authenticity, we ask you to report these incidents through Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
Emergency Services
Situations requiring IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE from Police, Fire or ambulance: call 911
Mental Health Crisis
Situations requiring IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE by phone from trained mental health counselors: call 988
Crime Check
Non-emergency police services: call 509.456.2233 to report crimes no longer in process or submit crime tips.
Crime Check Online Reporting also available.
City Services
Non-emergency reporting of potholes, graffiti, or unlawful camping, utility billing, and general information on city services: call 311 or report online
Social Services
Social services and community resources like housing, food, and employment help: call 211
For general police email contact:
SPDWebMail@spokanepolice.org
Julie Humphreys
509.622.5868
jhumphreys@spokanepolice.org