PORT ANGELES — North Olympic Peninsula residents have had more than $1 million stolen from them through fraud schemes, including one person who lost $28,000, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office said the scam involves people calling and claiming to be Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “agents.” The FTC does not have agents, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
In one recent instance, an elderly Clallam County man lost $28,000 while being targeted by the people posing as FTC agents, the release stated.
“The scammers directed the victim to purchase a prepaid ‘TracFone,’ instructed him to keep the phone powered on at all times and coached him throughout the scheme,” the release stated. “The suspects then had the victim withdraw cash and hand-deliver the money to a person who arrived at his residence and accepted the cash without speaking.”
The fraudulent agents also persuaded the man to provide account passwords, including access to his bank accounts, according to the release.
“During one withdrawal attempt, the victim’s bank warned him that the transaction appeared to be a scam,” the release states. “Unbeknownst to the victim, the scammers were actively listening to the call and continued directing him.”
The bank flagged the account, which prevented the suspects from electronically withdrawing the remaining $200,000 through an offshore account, according to the release.
The case remains under investigation.
Fraud schemes such as this one have triggered multi-agency investigations, resulting in arrests and the identification of additional victims across Washington and other states, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“This is not an isolated incident — it is an ongoing crime occurring locally and nationwide,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Older adults reported $2.4 billion in fraud losses in 2024, which is up from $600 million in 2020, according to FTC statistics, the release stated.
The people behind fraud schemes such as this one aggressively target vulnerable people, especially seniors, using impersonation tactics and fear-based manipulation, according to the release.
The FTC provides information for how to identify and report fraud at www.consumer.ftc.gov.
To protect yourself, the release suggests you:
• Should not engage unexpected callers claiming to be from government agencies or large companies.
• Know that government agencies will never demand payment via cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or gold.
• Do not purchase prepaid phones or keep callers on the line while conducting financial transactions.
• Never provide passwords, PINs or account access to anyone over the phone.
• Do not allow remote access to your computer unless you initiated the service through a verified provider.
• Verify independently by calling your bank, Social Security Administration or law enforcement using publicly listed numbers — not numbers provided by the caller.
Anyone who thinks they have been targeted, or who is currently involved in one of these scams, should stop all contact immediately and call the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency line at 360-417-2459, option 1.
