Scams steal almost $700K from residents

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026

Clallam County residents have lost nearly $700,000 to scams recently, the Sheriff’s Office has said.

This week, four separate fraud reports to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office have come in with the county residents losing more than $673,000 to the scams, according to a news release.

“These criminals are professional manipulators who prey on fear, trust and urgency,” said Undersheriff Lorraine Shore in the release. “We encourage everyone to pause before sending money, purchasing gold or gift cards, or transferring cryptocurrency. A simple phone call to a trusted family member, your bank or local law enforcement can prevent a life-changing financial loss.”

The scams are targeting victims of all ages through email, fake government agencies, technical support scams, phishing emails, cryptocurrency fraud and investment-related scams, according to the release.

“Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated and often spend days, weeks or even years manipulating victims into believing they are helping protect their finances,” the release states.

In one scam, reported Monday, an 84-year-old Clallam County resident believed they had received an email from their daughter with a photo.

After opening the email, a fake Microsoft security alert appeared on the computer directing the victim to call a support number, according to the release.

“The victim was transferred to someone claiming to represent the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and was falsely told they were under investigation in a child pornography and money laundering case,” the release states. “The scammers instructed the victim not to contact local law enforcement and claimed local banks were also under investigation. The victim was told their bank accounts were in danger of being seized and was instructed to purchase gold to protect their assets.”

In three separate transactions, the victim purchased approximately $420,000 worth of gold and gave it to an unknown man waiting at the end of their driveway.

“Only after speaking with bank officials did the victim realize they had been defrauded,” the release states.

In a scam reported Tuesday, a resident lost approximately $50,000 from an investment account after clicking on a phishing email.

Another scam reported Tuesday involved a 64-year-old resident who attempted to contact Coinbase after seeing their account displayed as closed, according to the release.

“Believing they were speaking with a legitimate Coinbase representative, the victim was told there was fraudulent activity on the account and was instructed to download a ‘rescue’ application,” the release states. “The application allowed the scammer to remotely access the victim’s phone.”

They then convinced the victim to transfer approximately $200,000 worth of cryptocurrency to what was described as a secure wallet. The funds were instead transferred to the scammer and could not be recovered.

A fourth scam was reported Wednesday and involved a resident receiving a fake Microsoft pop-up warning that the computer had been locked.

“The scammer, identifying herself as Samantha, convinced the victim that their banking information had been compromised after being used on adult websites,” the release states. “The victim was instructed to purchase $3,500 in Apple gift cards, photograph the card numbers and send the images to the scammer.”

Legitimate companies and government agencies, including Microsoft, Apple, Coinbase, the FTC, banks and law enforcement, will never: tell you not to contact your local law enforcement agency, claim you are under investigation and demand immediate action, ask you to purchase gold, gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire money to protect your assets, send someone to your home to collect cash, gold or valuables, ask you to download software that gives them remote access to your computer or phone, or pressure you to act immediately or keep the matter secret from family members, according to the release.

To protect yourself from scams, the release says to: never click links or open attachments in unexpected emails or text messages, contact companies directly using phone numbers obtained from their official websites instead of those provided in suspicious emails or pop-ups, never allow unsolicited remote access to your computer or phone, never purchase gift cards, gold or cryptocurrency because someone instructed you to do so over the phone or online, talk with a trusted family member, friend or financial institution before making large financial instructions, and remember that urgency, secrecy and fear are the scammer’s most effective tools.

If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, contact your financial institution immediately, report the incident to your local law enforcement agency, and file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.