Authorities Warn of More Scammers in Yakima Valley

Local authorities continue to remind people of scams that are targeting seniors in the Yakima Valley. The latest scams include the IRS, Social Security and Publishers Clearinghouse scams. In the Publishers Clearinghouse scam, police say people are told they have won a large prize but first need to pay an up-front fee before receiving the winnings. One listener tells KIT News she was almost tricked by the scam until she was told to pay a fee of $4,000 before getting her winnings.

Police say if you won a legitimate jackpot you wouldn't be required to pay a fee before getting your money.
The IRS scam and Social Security scams use threats to get people to respond.
Authorities say the IRS and Social Security administration would never call and threaten to stop payments or suspend Social Security numbers that can't be suspended. If you get any of the calls, hang up and never give out your Social Security or financial information over the phone. If you get a call and still have a question, find the real phone number on your own and call the agency yourself.