SEQUIM – A 35-year-old Tacoma woman was arrested in Clallam County after a sting operation exposed her role in an elaborate scam that defrauded a 71-year-old Sequim resident out of $125,000.
The scam began when the victim received a call from a man posing as an Amazon fraud investigator, who then transferred her to another man claiming to be a Federal Trade Commission agent named “John Davis.” The scammer convinced the victim that she was under investigation for money laundering and needed to hand over large sums of cash to prove her innocence. Over several transactions, she withdrew tens of thousands of dollars, packed it in a lockbox, and delivered it to a man posing as an agent.
The suspect told the victim she would identify the “Agent” in the vehicle by receiving a one-dollar bill from the agent with serial numbers that matched a photo the suspect sent her. She provided photos of herself and her vehicle to the suspect so the “agent” would be able to identify her during the money exchange.
The scheme unraveled when a bank manager warned the victim she was being scammed, leading to a Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigation. On March 12, detectives set up a sting operation in cooperation with the victim. She followed the scammer’s instructions to prepare $40,000 for another drop-off, leading deputies to arrest Alla Mashkova of Tacoma as she accepted the cash.
Mashkova, who required a Ukrainian interpreter during questioning, was booked into Clallam County Jail on charges of second-degree extortion and first-degree attempted theft. Authorities believe multiple suspects were involved and are continuing the investigation.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to remain cautious of scams and report suspicious activity at 360-417-2262 or via their website at clallamcountywa.net