KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — A Klamath County resident avoided losing money after becoming suspicious of a scammer posing as a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) official by going to the Sheriff’s Office for help before any money was transferred.

The resident received text messages from someone claiming to be helping secure their financial accounts.

The scammer sent photographs of what appeared to be an official FTC badge and credentials, then asked for banking information and instructed the resident to go to Fred Meyer and move their money into cryptocurrency.

Instead, the resident stopped communicating with the scammer and contacted the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office before transferring any money.

Sheriff’s officials are warning that photographs of badges, identification cards, warrants and other official-looking documents can easily be faked and should not be treated as proof of identity.

Government agencies will not instruct people to move money into cryptocurrency to protect it.

Anyone receiving such a request should stop communicating, avoid sharing financial information and independently contact the agency or financial institution using a verified phone number.