State Patrol warns of Amber Alert scam

Published 8:40 am Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Washington State Patrol is warning citizens that the agency is not conducting a fundraiser for the Amber Alert system.

Officials with the State Patrol said Tuesday the agency had received reports from people who had gotten calls asking for donations to support the Amber Alert program.

The calls appear to be a scam, officials said, but they noted that the State Patrol does not have enough information on the calls to launch an investigation.

While the State Patrol does oversee the Amber Alert program in Washington, officials said that the State Patrol, local agencies, nor anyone on the State Patrol’s behalf is soliciting funds to support the AMBER Alert system in Washington.

Officials remind citizens to research charities before making a donation; the Washington Secretary of State’s website has information on identifying legitimate charities.

The link to the Secretary of State’s website is http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/consumer_faq.aspx.