Description

On January 29, 2024, the FBI issued a public warning about an escalating trend where criminals are exploiting courier services to collect money and valuables from victims targeted in tech support and government impersonation scams. The advisory comes in response to a surge in reports, particularly involving senior citizens, who were instructed by scammers to liquidate assets or purchase precious metals like gold or silver. Perpetrators often pose as tech support workers, U.S. government officials, or employees of technology companies and financial institutions. They deceive victims by claiming their financial accounts are compromised, prompting them to convert assets into cash or precious metals to safeguard their funds. To legitimize the fraud, scammers may provide victims with a passcode for authentication during in-person transactions with couriers. The criminals arrange for these couriers to meet victims at their homes or public locations to retrieve the money or precious metals. The elaborate scheme has resulted in substantial financial losses, with the FBI noting aggregated losses exceeding $55 million from May to December 2023. To prevent falling victim to such scams, individuals are advised never to send precious metals to legitimate businesses or U.S. government organizations and to refrain from sharing personal information or meeting strangers to fulfill requests made over the phone. Victims are urged to report incidents promptly to the FBI, providing comprehensive information about the scammers, including names, communication methods, bank account details, and the metal dealers involved in the fraudulent transactions. The FBI's warning emphasizes the need for vigilance, especially among vulnerable individuals, and echoes previous alerts on scams targeting the elderly.