Residents in Washington and other states have reported receiving calls from someone requesting money for 9-1-1 services. The caller claims that residents must pay a fee to register their house in a 9‑1‑1 database so first responders can locate the home in an emergency. The caller also requests names and medical information from the residents.
This is a scam. 9-1-1 services are funded through dedicated 9-1-1 excise taxes on telephone bills and by other local government funds. Any request for 9-1-1 funds over the phone is a fraud, and residents who receive these calls should hang up and report the suspicious call to their local police or sheriff’s non-emergency phone number. Benton County residents please use telephone number 509-628-0333.
News and Information from the Richland Police Department
Crime Mapping-See real time crime summaries and maps of Richland, Washington
