The FBI has issued a public warning regarding a surge in elaborate courier frauds targeting seniors. Scammers, often posing as tech support or government officials, deceive victims into liquidating assets such as cash or precious metals. The criminals manipulate vulnerable individuals, including many senior citizens, by falsely claiming that their financial accounts are compromised or under imminent threat. To carry out their scheme, scammers arrange for couriers to meet victims in person, collecting the cash or precious metals. This complex and deceptive tactic has already resulted in significant financial losses for countless victims.
The fraudulent activities extend beyond impersonating tech support or government officials, with scammers also masquerading as employees of technology companies and financial institutions. They exploit the victims’ fears of compromised financial accounts, coercing them to convert assets into cash or precious metals for supposed protection. The FBI emphasizes the urgency of reporting such scams immediately, providing as much information as possible about the scammers, their communication methods, and relevant details like bank accounts and the names of metal dealers involved.
In response to the increasing threat, the FBI offers practical tips to reduce the risk of falling victim to similar fraud attempts. These include avoiding the sending of gold or precious metals to businesses or government organizations, refraining from sharing personal information or meeting strangers to send valuables, and exercising caution in clicking on unsolicited pop-ups, links, or attachments. The FBI underscores the importance of vigilance and adherence to these guidelines to safeguard against the financial exploitation of seniors.
The magnitude of the issue is underscored by the FBI’s revelation of aggregated losses exceeding $55 million between May and December 2023, as reported by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The urgency of the warning is heightened by the agency’s commitment to investigating and addressing such scams promptly.
