PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a second suspect in connection with a sophisticated scam that defrauded a 71-year-old Sequim resident out of $125,000.

Following an extensive investigation, detectives arrested Pralay Kumar Kar in Bothell, WA, on March 21, 2025. His arrest comes just over a week after a sting operation led to the capture of Tacoma resident Alla Mashkova on March 12. Detectives seized 80 cell phones and nine computers at the time of Kar’s arrest, highlighting the complexity of the fraud operation.

According to Clallam County Undersheriff Lorraine Shore, the arrests were the result of an extensive investigation that took detectives from Clallam County to Bothell in pursuit of those responsible.

The scam began when the victim was contacted by a man claiming to be from the Amazon Fraud Department, who then transferred her call to an individual posing as a Federal Trade Commission agent. The scammers convinced the victim that she was under investigation for money laundering and instructed her to withdraw large sums of money and deliver them to a supposed federal agent. The victim, fearing legal trouble, complied, handing over cash in three separate transactions.

A bank manager recognized the signs of fraud and alerted the victim, leading to law enforcement involvement. Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a sting operation with the victim’s cooperation, resulting in Mashkova’s arrest when she arrived to collect another fraudulent payment.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify additional suspects connected to the scheme.