Attorney General Nick Brown is warning Washington residents about a scam targeting injured, Spanish-speaking workers across the Pacific Northwest. This scam has not yet been documented in Washington, but Washington workers should be aware that they may be targeted.
The Scam
Scammers contact the injured worker via phone, email, video call, text message, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or social media apps, and falsely claim to represent government agencies, law firms, or courts. Communications may appear official because they include government agency seals, use government agency addresses, include signatures by government officials, or identify the caller as a government representative, attorney, or judge, but the communications are fraudulent.
The scammers tell the worker that they must pay money to receive workers’ compensation benefits or to receive a settlement. Scammers may request payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. After the worker pays, the scammers cut off contact and take the injured worker’s money.
In a variation of this scam, imposters try to convince the worker to appear at a fake online workers’ compensation hearing. The hearing may appear official and may include a fake judge, attorney, or government representative. The hearing results in an official-looking order in the worker’s favor. The scammers then tell the worker that they must pay money to receive workers’ compensation benefits or to receive a settlement. After the worker pays, the scammers cut off contact and the money is gone.
Scam Warning Signs
You may be dealing with a scam if:
• You are asked to pay money before you can receive workers’ compensation benefits or a settlement;
• You are contacted through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or other social media apps for supposed hearings or mediations;
• You are pressured to act quickly or to pay immediately; or
• You are asked to make a payment using gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
What You Should Know
• Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), the Washington Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (the Board), or your employer will not ask you for payment before you can receive workers’ compensation benefits;
• L&I and the Board will never ask you for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency;
• Official communications from L&I and the Board will not pressure you to act or pay immediately;
• L&I and the Board do not use social media or applications like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate about hearings or mediations; and
• The Board does not charge or collect fees for hearings or mediations.
What to Do
What to Do
If you are unsure whether a communication that appears to be from L&I or the Board is legitimate, do not send money or personal information. Verify before you act by contacting L&I by phone at (360) 902-4229 or email at InsServLanguageAccess1@LNI.wa.gov.
If you believe that a scammer has contacted you or you believe that you have given a scammer money, file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office: https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint (English) or https://www.atg.wa.gov/queja (Spanish).
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
