Telephone car tab scam reported

Calls made in Grant and Adams counties

COLUMBIA BASIN - The state Department of Licensing learned last week of a suspected telephone car tab renewal scam in Grant County and Adams County.

Between 10 to 12 calls were made in Grant, Adams and Stevens counties by people claiming to be state licensing employees, said Brad Benfield, a spokesperson with the state agency.

The calls may be from out of state because a caller reported a possible out of state area code appearing on a caller ID, Benfield said. He said he didn't know which state the call was made from as information is still being gathered.

The fake employees reportedly asked the vehicle owners for credit card information to renew tabs over the phone.

The licensing department doesn't have phone numbers in its records, he said.

"There's no way they could call," he said. "The point here is the Department of Licensing never has and doesn't have plans to handle renewals by phone."

Renewals can be done online, though mail or at a licensing office, he said.

It's not known if any of the callers were successful in obtaining the credit card information they sought, Benfield said.

During the calls, some vehicle owners have reported receiving a recorded message.

Also, some partial messages have been reported, with the messages stopping when the fake state licensing employee starts speaking. Some people reported receiving several of the calls.

Benfield said he's certain there are more people receiving the calls, as reports of the calls are small in number. Most people just ignore such calls, he said.

Benfield said he started hearing about the calls at the beginning of last week with most of the calls occurring in the middle of last week.

Char Winzler, office manager at the Moses Lake licensing office, said a few customers reported they were called and asked "very strange questions."

One woman who was reportedly contacted said she was asked where her car was parked and the color of her car, Winzler said.

"The Department of Licensing will never call you to try to get you to renew tabs," Winzler said. "We don't instigate that."