Email requesting payment for library fine, determined to be a scam

By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories

BAKER COUNTY – (Information provided by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office)

Beware of scammers!

Lately, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office has seen an increase in scam attempts. The most recent involves overdue library fines. Sheriff Ash received an email stating that he had a total of $97.14 in overdue library fines. A “pay here” link was included where he could easily pay his fines at the “Baker City Public Library.” A call was placed to the Baker County Library District and it was confirmed that this was a scam.

If you receive an email regarding overdue library fines and have questions about your account status, please call the Baker County Library District at 541-523-6419.

We ask folks to be vigilant during these times, as scammers are more active now than ever. If it seems strange or too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or use a money transfer service.

Check out the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information website (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam) for additional ways to avoid being scammed.