The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a scam circulating around the state targeting Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders.
According to the sheriff’s office, scammers send a text message to people and tell them that their CHL is expiring, and they must renew by a certain date. They may be sending notices to thousands of numbers, hoping they hit someone who has a CHL. A link is provided in the scam message telling the CHL holder to click on it to quickly renew their CHL.
The sheriff’s department said scammers often use urgent language to try to get potential victims to respond immediately without verifying information.
”Don’t fall for it,” the UCSO said in a Facebook post. “We have not had any reports in our area yet, but it is probably just a matter of time.”
The sheriff’s office offered the following advice:
“If you are receiving random unsolicited messages about your CHL, it is a scam. As with any online process, if you were not expecting a response and you are not certain of the source, DO NOT CLICK on links. Verify the information and go to the source. We use a third-party software vendor (Permitium) that has the required security clearance to ensure this information is maintained confidential and only reaches UCSO. Don’t get trapped into responding to an “urgent” message. Take your time, do the research. For more information on our CHL process, go to our website.”
