Press Release: 9/23/2025

FBI Boston Warns of Increase in Gold Bar and Bulk Cash Courier Scams

FBI Boston



Kristen Setera



(857) 386-2905



 



September 22, 2025



 



The Boston Division of the FBI is warning the public about an uptick in the number of reports it has received on fraudsters using couriers to collect bulk cash or gold bars from unwitting victims, most of whom are elderly, via a multitude of scams. These schemes have resulted in devastating financial losses.



Criminals may conduct grandparent, government impersonation, or tech support scams to collect cash or gold using an in-person courier sent to the victim’s address or a third-party location. To boost their credibility, scammers may give the victim a “code,” “password,” or “serial number” to identify whether the courier is the person to whom the funds should be given.



These scams include:




  • Grandparent Scams: Fraudsters call victims posing as a grandchild, relative, or lawyer in distress, claiming a family member is in some sort of serious legal or medical trouble and needs money immediately. The fraudster may claim, for example, that the victim’s loved one has been in a motor vehicle accident, killed someone, and was arrested. The fraudster may instruct the victim to send money to a specific address or a driver may be sent to the victim’s location to either pick up the money or drive the victim to the bank to withdraw cash. These drivers are not always aware they are facilitating a crime.

  • Government Impersonation: Scammers pose as a government or law enforcement entity threatening to arrest or prosecute the victim because their identification or social security cards were found in a package containing drugs seized by the government. The victim is told they can only prove they are a victim of identity theft by liquidating their funds into cash, gold, and other precious metals to be put into a “government-owned” bank account.

  • Tech Support with Government Impersonation: A victim receives alerts on their computer telling them to call a helpdesk line to resolve an issue that is not real. The “helpdesk” inspects the computer and claims to find illegal purchases, like child sex abuse material (CSAM). The scammer transfers the victim to a person posing as a financial institution, who threatens the victim with criminal charges. The victim may then be transferred to yet another scammer impersonating a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Department of Justice (DOJ) representative claiming the victim must put their funds in a DOJ escrow or bank account.



From 2023 to May of 2025, FBI Boston documented 103 instances of a courier being used to pick up illicit cash or gold bars, with financial losses totaling $26,024,691. Roughly 98% of these losses were reported by individuals over the age of 60.




  • 16 victims in Maine lost $2,687,919.

  • 59 victims in Massachusetts lost $18,642,975.

  • 15 victims in New Hampshire lost $4,136,449.

  • 13 victims in Rhode Island lost $557,348.



Nationwide, during the same time, the FBI documented at least 1,737 instances of a courier being used to pick up bulk cash or gold bars, with financial losses totaling approximately $186,263,191.



The reported losses are likely higher because many victims are ashamed and don’t know where to report the fraud, or don’t realize they’ve been scammed.



“Simply put, what these con artists are doing is cruel. These literal gold diggers are trying to get rich quick at the expense of our aging family members and friends,” said Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “We’re working hard to educate folks about this troubling trend to prevent others from being victimized, and we need your help. Talk to your loved ones about how to protect what’s theirs.”



FBI Boston is continuing to raise awareness of how these scams play out by working with its law enforcement, community and private sector partners, including area financial institutions, to prevent victims from purchasing large amounts of gold or withdrawing cash for these schemes.



Here are some tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:




  • The U.S. government and legitimate businesses will never ask you to purchase gold or other precious metals.

  • Limit what you post online. Never disclose your home address or agree to meet strangers to deliver cash or precious metals.

  • Don’t click unsolicited pop-ups on your computer, links sent via texts, or links and attachments embedded in emails from unknown or spoofed senders.

  • Don’t call unknown telephone numbers shown in pop-ups, texts, or emails.

  • Don’t download software at the request of unknown individuals.

  • Don’t let unknown individuals access to your computer.



The FBI is asking victims to report fraud and attempted fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov as quickly as possible. Be sure to include as much information about the transaction as possible, including:




  • The name of the person or company that contacted you.

  • Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.

  • Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient’s name(s).

  • The name and location of the gold/metal dealer and the account to which you wired funds, if you were instructed to buy precious metals.



Victims aged 60 or over who need assistance with filing an IC3 complaint can contact their local FBI field office or the DOJ Elder Justice hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311).