Spokane Tribal Police have once again encountered Fake Money being used in our area. These cases are difficult as these types of bills are marked, in most cases, as being non-negotiable currency. As in this example it is in Chinese on the back left of the bill. The last episode we had like this the bill were marked “Motion Picture Money.” The US Secret Service is the primary agency for the investigation and prosecution of these types of crimes. They however are highly unlikely to take cases like these as they are so small and isolated. Sgt. Ted Wynecoop is our Secret Service liaison for the department. He collects these bills and takes them into the Secret Service as needed.

The Spokane Tribal Police Department does actively investigate cases like this when we have information to go on. If the suspect is Native American then we will file charges for fraud in our court. If the offender is Non-Indian then we have to refer to the State. I would remind everyone that the sense we get from the courts is that these types of cases fall on the responsibility of the business to ensure their employees do not take these types of currency in at all. In light of this we will try to set up another training sometime after the COVID crisis will allow. I would also encourage maximum attendance. Sgt. Wynecoop will coordinate this training when it is allowed.

In the meantime I highly recommend that all of our business get bill scanners or security devices to help prevent these occurrences. Our Casinos have this technology and I would encourage you to reach out to Andy Matherly with questions on this as TGA is likely the best expert on this technology we have. I would also encourage you to speak with your staff again and let them know that these bills are popping up again and to be wary. If they think a bill is fake or it does not look right don’t accept it. Or, at a minimum, look to a supervisor for guidance. Don’t be afraid to ask a person with a funny bill for ID or ask them a question about the bill. This will also encourage cashiers to take greater responsibility in their positions. They might get offended but we will be protecting the interests of the Tribe. In the majority of these cases the Tribal Business must just absorb the loss. If any of you have further questions please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Thank you ALL and please be aware!

“I recently took a fraud case from Spoko Fuel station in Chewelah. A clerk received and accepted a counterfeit $100. I was advised by a clerk, these bills can be purchased from “wish.com”. I did some research and found that you can purchase “prop” money for $3 for 300 $100 bills. The only difference in the bills is Asian writing on the backside of the bill. The paper does not feel real nor does it have the other security features such as the watermark of Ben Franklin and a shifting bell, the security ribbon is not 3D. It also appears there are some versions that do not have Asian symbols.” Officer David Minshall 529
Spokane Tribal Police
509-258-4569 (Dispatch)

Thank you,
Jesse R. Moss II
Chief of Police
Spokane Tribal Police Department
Spokane Tribe of Indians
phone: 509-258-4569
509-258-4400
Fax: 509-625-3545

Unemployment Fraud Warning

With COVID-19 creating so many layoffs and unemployment claims rising, so do reports of thieves taking advantage of people and their situations. There are reports coming in about people filing fraudulent unemployment claims in other people’s names. If you have received a communication from your state unemployment office referencing a claim or claim number you didn’t file see the steps below you can take to safe guard yourself and mitigate the situation.

• Contact your employer’s HR Department
• Contact Washington State Employment Security Department to report the fraud.
• Report the fraudulent activity to the three Major Credit Bureaus
• File a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission
• Keep notes so you have a paper trail you can reference