TechSpot reported that four Washington residents lost more than $673,000 in scams reported over three days, with the schemes involving bogus tech support, a fake crypto app, a malicious email, and a gold pickup carried out in person.
What happened?
Sheriff's officials in Clallam County said the four complaints all came within a three-day window, as reported by TechSpot. The smallest reported loss was $3,500 paid in Apple gift cards, while the largest was about $420,000 in gold given to a man who came to a victim's driveway.
A separate complaint involved a malicious email that reportedly gave scammers access to financial accounts and ended with a $50,000 loss, TechSpot said. In another case, a scammer pretending to work for Microsoft support allegedly convinced a resident to buy $3,500 in Apple gift cards.
TechSpot also described a case in which a 64-year-old believed they were installing a Coinbase app and ultimately sent $200,000.
The most costly case, according to TechSpot, centered on an 84-year-old who was told by scammers posing as federal officials that the Federal Trade Commission was investigating them for alleged child pornography and money laundering. The victim was reportedly warned not to contact police, instructed to convert money into gold so it would not be seized, and later told to hand that gold to someone who came to their house.
Why does it matter?
Overall, these four reports show how scammers can operate through varying methods: by phone, through email, inside an app, and even by arranging a face-to-face collection. The losses were also carried out in different ways, including gift cards, compromised financial accounts, a transfer through an app presented as legitimate, and gold surrendered at a victim's home.
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In the gold case, the victim was reportedly told not to contact police and to move money into gold to keep it from being seized. TechSpot shared an infographic by the Clallam County Sheriff's Office's Facebook post that one of the major red flags is when someone is telling you "to not contact local law enforcement," or "to keep it secret."
What can I do?
In these cases, the warning signs included the payment methods and the pressure involved. Real businesses and government offices will not require payment via gift cards, crypto, or gold, nor will they send someone to a home to pick up valuables.
If someone claims your money is in danger, contact your bank, the company involved, or law enforcement using a phone number or website you find independently — not the contact information provided in the message, app, or phone call.
Be cautious with app downloads and urgent emails, particularly when money is involved. Check the publisher, confirm that the app is listed through the official app store, and consider asking a trusted friend or family member to review the situation before moving funds.
The Clallam County Sheriff's Office urged residents to remain skeptical of panic-driven demands. As the agency wrote in its Facebook post: "These criminals are professional con artists. They create fear, urgency, and trust to convince victims to act before they have time to think."
"These criminals are professional manipulators who prey on fear, trust and urgency," Undersheriff Lorraine Shore said.
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