Gold Bar & Bulk Cash Courier Scam

Scammers impersonating grandchildren, government agents, or tech support convince mostly elderly victims to withdraw cash or buy gold bars, then send an in-person courier to physically collect the loot from the victim's home.

A fraudster first gains a victim's trust through a grandparent-emergency call, a government/law-enforcement impersonation call, or a tech-support pop-up, convincing the victim their money is at risk or a relative is in trouble. Instead of asking for a wire transfer or gift cards, the scammer instructs the victim to withdraw large amounts of cash or, increasingly, to purchase physical gold bars from a dealer "to protect the funds." The criminal then arranges for a courier, sometimes an unwitting rideshare driver and sometimes a knowing accomplice, to come to the victim's home or a nearby meeting point to physically pick up the cash or gold. To make the handoff seem legitimate, the scammer often gives the victim a verification "code," "password," or "serial number" that the courier must recite before the victim hands over the money or gold.

• A caller you don't know instructs you to withdraw cash or buy gold bars and hand them to a stranger who comes to your door
• You're told to give a courier a special code, password, or serial number to verify who should receive the money
• Urgent claims that a family member is in legal trouble, your accounts are compromised, or the government needs you to move your money to "protect" it
• Instructions to keep the transaction secret from other family members or bank staff
• Pressure to act immediately with no time to verify the story independently

• FBI Boston documented 103 gold bar and bulk cash courier scam cases across New England from 2023 to May 2025, with losses totaling over $26 million, about 98% involving victims over age 60.
• Nationwide, the FBI documented at least 1,737 instances of courier pickups of bulk cash or gold bars during the same period, with losses of roughly $186 million.
• A South Boston man was indicted for allegedly defrauding a 75-year-old man in Berkshire County out of $500,000 through this scheme.

• Never give cash, gold, or valuables to a courier sent by someone who contacted you unsolicited by phone, email, or pop-up
• Independently verify any claim of a relative's emergency or government/legal trouble by calling them or the agency directly using a number you look up yourself
• Real government agencies (FBI, IRS, Social Security, etc.) will never ask you to buy gold bars or hand cash to a courier
• Talk to a trusted family member or your bank before withdrawing large sums or buying precious metals under pressure
• Report suspected courier pickup scams to the FBI's IC3.gov and local police immediately, even if you're embarrassed