Several scams defrauded Washington state residents of more than $670,000 over the course of three days, according to a Facebook post from the local sheriff’s office.
In one of those scams an elderly resident handed over about $420,000 in gold to a man who happened to cross his path.
Here’s what you need to know about recent scams and how to protect yourself from becoming their victim.
Scammers pose as Microsoft, FTC employees
Four residents of Clallam County, a coastal area west of Seattle along the northern Washington Peninsula, lost more than $673,000 in just three days, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Scammers used many different sophisticated tactics, including posing as employees of Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission.
The sheriff’s office wrote that the smallest amount lost was $3,500, which someone pretending to be a Microsoft technical support employee purchased in Apple gift cards for a scammer. Another person lost $50,000 when they clicked on a malicious email and unknowingly gave scammers access to their financial accounts.
Another $200,000 was lost when a 64-year-old resident was forced to download a fake app by someone he believed worked for cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.
Hand over gold worth more than $420,000
The biggest scam targeted an 84-year-old man who handed over approximately $420,000 worth of gold to anyone who crossed his path, after scammers successfully duped him into believing he was being investigated by the FTC for alleged child pornography and money laundering charges.
According to a news release cited by local media outlet, Peninsula Daily News, “The scammers instructed victims not to contact local law enforcement and claimed that local banks were also under investigation. Victims were told their bank accounts were at risk of being seized and were instructed to purchase gold to protect their assets.”
The victim then bought gold worth about $420,000 and when a man came on the road, he handed him the gold. It was not until the person contacted their bank that they realized they had been defrauded.
Scammers prey on fear, trust and urgency
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for more information about the recent scandals.
“These criminals are professional tricksters who prey on fear, trust and urgency,” Undersheriff Loren Shore said 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 life-changing financial loss.”
Stop, think, contact someone you trust
The Sheriff’s Office shared several tips to avoid being scammed. Most importantly, reputable companies like Microsoft and Coinbase, as well as government agencies, have never:
- Let us tell you that do not contact any law enforcement agency.
- Ask you to buy gold, gift cards or cryptocurrencies and send them to them.
- Send someone to your home to collect gold, cash or other valuables.
- Ask for remote access to your computer or phone.
Before sending any information that could be compromised, or money or valuables, it is important that people stop, hang up or log off the web, and consult a trusted institution – whether that be a family member, friend, bank or law enforcement agency.
“These criminals are professional con artists,” the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said in its Facebook post. “They create fear, urgency and trust to convince victims to take action before they have time to think.”
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be contacted at (email protected).