Police Chief Ray Schultz said investigators are now facing what could become a months-long effort involving subpoenas across several states.
Two of the local cases may be connected to crimes tied to an organized crime group based in San Diego, a link that the FBI first flagged to local police, Schultz said.
The largest reported loss was $207,000 in what police described as an account takeover. The victim became suspicious when bank statements stopped arriving in the mail; upon reviewing account activity, they discovered an unauthorized withdrawal.
"He asked for the account to be frozen," Schultz said. "Somehow there was a miscommunication with the bank and the account was not frozen. And once the suspects got into his banking system, they were actually able to access four different accounts and hence $207,000 in losses."
The other cases involved unauthorized bank withdrawals, fraudulent credit card activity and a jury duty impersonation scheme. In that case, a resident was allegedly convinced they owed a $2,000 bond for failing to appear for jury service.
Schultz said fraud investigations can quickly become complicated because suspects often move money immediately through different accounts. A single case can require dozens of subpoenas in multiple states as investigators try to trace where the money went and identify those responsible.
"These criminals know that when they access this type of information, they have a short time to utilize it," Schultz said. "They are also selling the important information, personal identifiers, on the dark web."
Whether a victim is reimbursed can depend on the circumstances, including how the fraud occurred, how quickly it was reported, and whether the victim inadvertently assisted the scammers, according to Schultz.
Police urge residents to regularly monitor bank accounts and credit reports, watch for missing statements or unfamiliar transactions, and immediately notify their bank and law enforcement if they suspect fraud.
While authorities occasionally see isolated fraud cases, Schultz said five cases in a single week are concerning.