OLYMPIA – A listserv account used by the Washington Attorney General’s Office to send news items was hijacked as part of a “phishing” scam. State agencies have resolved the problem to ensure further unauthorized e-mails are not sent.

Subscribers received a e-mail message that appears to come from “Military Bank Online” but includes the listserv address in the “from” line. The message aims to trick readers into clicking on a link that resembles a Bank of America Web site and asks for account login information.

AG McKenna’s Pleased Credit Freeze Legislation Now Law

OLYMPIA – Washington residents have a new way to protect themselves from identity thieves. Attorney General Rob McKenna said today’s signing of a preventative credit security freeze law,  which he pursued during the past two legislative sessions, is crucial in lowering the risk of unauthorized credit or bank accounts being opened. The law also helps shield existing victims from additional harm to their credit reports.

Olympia – Attorney General Rob McKenna will visit Stadium High School in Tacoma on Thursday, and Bremerton High School on Friday as part of the on-going schedule of school visits in his “Operation:  Allied Against Meth” campaign.
              

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Rob McKenna is proud to announce the Washington Coalition for Open Government has awarded its Key Award to Greg Overstreet, special assistant attorney general for government accountability for the Attorney General’s Office.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today made the following statement on the state’s oral arguments regarding the constitutionality of Initiative 747, now before the Washington Supreme Court.

“The judges asked very good questions and we’re encouraged that they will uphold the will of Washington voters who approved property tax relief through Initiative 747,” McKenna said. “We must preserve the right of the people to use the power of initiative in establishing law without being unfairly hampered by inappropriate, hyper- technical arguments.”

SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a $19.5 million multi-state settlement with Purdue Pharma. Washington will receive $719,500 from the agreement, which resolves allegations the company aggressively marketed its painkiller OxyContin to doctors while downplaying the risk of addiction.

SEATTLE – You may be owed money if you paid for a video subscription service from Movieland.com, bought Spyware Cleaner software or a Sony BMG music CD, or were billed for a shopping service or travel club you didn’t want. The Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division says thousands of Washington consumers are potentially eligible for refunds for products and services as a result of government settlements. But with deadlines rapidly approaching, those consumers need to submit their claims soon in order to receive payment.

OLYMPIA - Attorney General Rob McKenna will keynote this year’s Washington State Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Ceremony on Friday, honoring four fallen officers and two who were seriously injured in the line of duty.

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Rob McKenna, Governor’s Chief of Staff Tom Fitzsimmons and representatives from the Washington State Department of General Administration and Sunset Air Incorporated will celebrate the designation of the AGO’s Tumwater Building as the first privately owned leased state facility to earn LEED Silver Certification on Thursday, May 3.

STATEWIDE – About 6,000 Washington residents turned out today for the first statewide LEGIT Shred-a-thon, carrying bags and boxes of papers containing personal information to be shredded. Organizers deemed the identity theft prevention campaign, which included simultaneous shred events at 29 locations, a huge success.

“The old saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is especially true with identity theft,” said King County Deputy Prosecutor Susan Storey, who chairs LEGIT. “Today, we collected identity theft prevention by the bag and boxful.”