FBI Boston warns of increase in gold bar, bulk cash courier scams

BOSTON — The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 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.