SPOKANE, Wash. – We’ve all felt that panic when a loved one is in trouble. That’s exactly what scammers counted on when they called a local mom waiting by the phone after an unexpected arrest.
“We’d never had that experience before of having somebody in our family be arrested,” said the woman, whose identity is being protected because of privacy concerns.
This mother was reluctant to share her sensitive and personal experience because she felt targeted. Ultimately, she decided getting the information out to more people might be the key to exposing the people who tried to steal from her.
“For the sake of my friends, family, and your viewers I thought sure, let’s talk about this,” she said.
She said the night before she got the suspicious phone call, her loved one had been arrested and taken to the Spokane County Jail. That public jail roster is updated regularly, and available for anyone to access online.
Hours after the arrest, the mother said she was waiting by the phone and got a call she assumed was from the police department. The unknown caller, who identified himself as “Sgt. Young” with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, nearly persuaded the woman to make a payment that he claimed would secure her loved one’s early release from jail.
“It sounded plausible, because I, not knowing the process, it sounded legit,” she said.
Until she started asking some questions.
“Is there a portal? Is there a website? I’d prefer to be able to go and read about where this money’s going to go,” she told the caller. Instead of providing clear answers, the man would start the spiel all over again encouraging her to choose a platform, Venmo or PayPal.
The caller’s tactics intensified, and instead of falling for his fear-tactics, the mother said she would go to the Sheriff’s Office in person and pay there.
And she hung up.
“I never heard from that person again,” she said.
This incident follows another case where another local resident wasn’t as fortunate. On April 3, 2025, Spokane Valley Deputies received a report from a victim who lost over $4,000 to a criminal scammer posing as a member of law enforcement.
The scammer falsified the Sheriff’s Office’s main phone number and threatened her with arrest for allegedly missing federal jury duty.
These incidents represent an ongoing series of scammers impersonating law enforcement officials. Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington Michael McDowell told 4 News Now another SCAM involves callers claiming to be U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington, Craig Thayer.
“We would never do that. United States Marshal Service does not solicit money over the phone, we don’t do that,” McDowell emphasized. “If you have a warrant for your arrest, we’re probably just going to come find you, we’re not going to call you.”
Law enforcement officials provide specific advice for handling suspicious calls: “Take a breath, slow things down, try to get as much information as you can, get off the phone,” McDowell advised. Another recommendation is to “just try your best to assess who they are, and why they’re calling, and if it’s somebody you even need to talk to.”
The local mother who recognized the scam shared her story to help others. “I work really hard for my money, I know other people do too,” she said.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
