WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A California man was arrested in connection to a fraud scheme that robbed a local resident of tens of thousands of dollars.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) says the victim told detectives they got a call from someone in mid-April claiming to be an officer with the Inspector General.

The caller said they were investigating a case of money laundering and drug trafficking, before telling the victim they needed to contact a “federal agent.”

WCSO says the fake agent showed the victim a phony badge and told them they needed to deposit money into a federal reserve in Seattle to keep it safe. The fake agent proceeded to send different people to pick up cash and gold from the victim three separate times over the past month, totaling a loss of over $100,000.

The fourth time someone came, they were arrested following a coordinated effort between several law enforcement agencies.

The 55-year-old California resident was booked into the Whatcom County Jail last Tuesday, where he remains on $500,000 bail.

WCSO believes the man to be involved in a nation-wide fraud scheme that has stolen several million dollars by targeting seniors. WCSO is reminding the community that law enforcement will never contact you to ask for funds or valuables.