WhatonEarth I'm being told that I now have to connect to the internet or contact "[my] carrier".
Please realize that this has nothing to do with GrapheneOS, and is standard. The phone has to check whether it's a carrier model and therefore whether it's eligible for unlocking.
Refer to https://grapheneos.org/install/web#enabling-oem-unlocking
Next, go to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle on the OEM unlocking setting. On device model variants (SKUs) which support being sold as locked devices by carriers, enabling OEM unlocking requires internet access so that the stock OS can check if the device was sold as locked by a carrier.
You now have multiple people helping you despite the attitude you're demonstrating. You have the choice of accepting the help being provided, or not, but the anger, attitude, and saying people are lying or the project is a "scam" because you're having trouble is unacceptable, and isn't something we'll be tolerating for much longer.
Please decide if you need help, and if so, please engage with the community in a productive manner. Thank you.