Local residents are receiving calls from a purported scammer identifying themselves as a Clallam County Northwest Veterans Resource Center employee, Clallam County officials said in a press release last week.

The caller is using county employee names and telling citizens they are soliciting funds to help veterans in need, according to county representatives. The calls are a scam, they said; the Northwest Veterans Resource Center will not call citizens to solicit funds.

“The best way for someone to protect themselves from these scams is to simply hang up,” county officials said. “Don’t let your guard down and don’t be intimidated into providing personal details or financial information.”

Those who receive the calls are urged to discontinue the call and report to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 360-417-2459 (option 1).

Additionally, they said, those who believe they have been the victim of a scam should notify their financial institution and visit the Federal Trade Commission website for information at consumer.ftc.gov/scams.