Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Nick Brown

CONSUMER ALERT: Washington residents ripped off by cons claiming to be relatives in need of help

Attorney General urges residents to talk to their loved ones about common scams

SEATTLE – It starts with a desperate phone call, e-mail or even an instant message from someone posing as a grandchild or a friend. He was arrested overseas. She was mugged. Please send money right away. Except it’s not who you think – it’s a con artist.

Washington residents are losing thousands of dollars to manipulative criminals claiming to be relatives in need of help.