Beware: Scammers Are Prowling Tri Cities, “My Car Broke Down”

How would you handle someone asking for help with their broke down car?

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This situation occurred recently. The alleged victim approached a Tri-Cities residence  asking for assistance. Jacob S. posted the video interaction on the Nextdoor app. The person asks for a jump and Jacob turned the person away.(Watch here)

Would you answer the door? How can you protect yourself?

Check the peephole to see if the person is in distress. Take pictures to provide to Police.

Do NOT open the door. Often times, there are accomplices hiding out in nearby bushes. They could push their way in and possibly rob you or assault you.

Tell the person you will call the Police for assistance. The local non-emergency number for Tri-Cities is 509-628-0333.

If you feel threatened, call 911 immediately to report a suspected home invasion and share details of what the person looks like.

It's good to have a security system or video doorbell.

This way, there's descriptive evidence for Police to locate the alleged scammer.

Beware, scams involving cars  are popular.

@granteverdeen this is hinestly ridiculious. please be careful of these fraudulent scammers‼️🙏 stay safe yall #scam #wtf #caraccident #lol #fraud #insurancefruad ♬ original sound - grant

Scammers will do anything to try to make a buck for nothing. They need to be exposed. If you're the victim of a scam, you're encouraged to report it