MOSES LAKE — Police departments across the country, including those in Grant County, have reported a rising incidence of scam calls targeting vulnerable individuals, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.

A lot of these scams vary in sophistication, according to Foreman, but often involve demanding payment through methods such as gift cards or threats of imminent arrest for unpaid fines, which should be a red flag to citizens.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it is,” Foreman said.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office highlights a particularly severe case this year, in which a victim lost $60,000 after a scammer claimed to have the power to prevent a crime in exchange for money. Foreman said that while significant amounts can be lost, less expensive scams are just as damaging.

Jeff Sursely, a sergeant with the Moses Lake Police Department, emphasized that engaging with callers, even in anger, opens the door for scammers to manipulate victims. He said he has had cases where people will send funds to a scammer multiple times, even after speaking to the police department.

“If you talk to them, (scammers) you open the opportunity for them to scam you the minute you start talking to them,” Sursely stated.

The best course of action is to hang up immediately, as scammers are often trained to exploit conversations, according to Sursely. In the past week, MLPD received three reports of scams. One caller claimed that a victim had missed jury duty and demanded immediate payment to avoid arrest.

“We will never call somebody and say, ‘you owe money,’” Sursely said, urging residents to verify any claims through official channels.

In another instance, a victim was told they had won $20,000 but needed to pay a fee, resulting in the purchase of a $500 prepaid card.

“Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do if you send them money,” Sursely said, noting that many scammers operate from outside U.S. jurisdiction.

“If you're being told to send money but they want it sent on gift cards or online cards, that is a scam,” Sursely said.

Furthermore, regarding a recurring scam in which callers impersonate a family member in jail, he advised potential victims to hang up and call the police department for verification. Foreman also said that government agencies will not call you to solicit for funds.

The Ephrata Police Department confirmed a recent scam in which a victim sent $2,800 via Bitcoin due to threats from someone posing as a sheriff's office representative. Sursely noted that while technology has made some spam calls detectable, individuals should remain vigilant, once again saying to call an official channel if someone is demanding funds.

“When you answer the phone and you realize that it's somebody trying to sell you something or is just acting suspicious, just hang up, immediately,” he said.

The Quincy Police Department has also warned residents of scams involving callers impersonating law enforcement. They reiterated that police officers will never call citizens about threats of arrest or demand payments.

“Once a scammer's got his hooks into you, it's really hard for that person to get away,” Sursely said. Ultimately, he advised that the best defense is simply to hang up.