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Scams are becoming more realistic and scammers are more persistent. Gold courier scams are targeting your parents, your grandparents, and even you and people are losing hundreds of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands to this scam. Now we got our hands on new data from the FBI that shows just how hard gold courier scams hit people and how widespread. They were between January and October 2025. Now in Florida, more than $21 million lost to this scam in New York, $22 million in Texas, $33 million gone. And in California, more than $43 million nationwide gold carrier scams have cost us more than $262 million. Dollars of our own hard earned money. Now this scam is so bad our Hearst reporters across the country are all talking with victims and police, breaking down how it happens and how to protect yourself. They’re ruining the lives of us seniors. It’s it’s senior exploitation. It’s abuse. They’re ruining our lives. It doesn’t matter where you live, federal and state law enforcement and our own reporters are documenting the devastating pattern. First, scammers will reach out to you by the phone, email, text message, maybe even *** pop-up similar to this one. They pretend to be someone important from your bank, even worse, the government, like the FBI, IRS, or FTC. Here in Florida, our state officials say the person will start putting fear in you by creating *** fake emergency, saying your account’s been hacked. But remember that hasn’t really happened. In many cases, scammers claim the only way to protect your money is to withdraw all of it and come to *** place. Like this, *** coin shop or gold dealer and convert it to gold bars or coins. The owner of this shop in Boston was warned by the FBI about this scam and has stepped in and stopped customers at this stage. But not everyone is so lucky. Next, they tell you to put your gold into *** box like this one. They then meet you in your neighborhood or at your own home. They pretend to be from the feds or from your bank. So why wouldn’t you believe them? They say they’re keeping your gold safe, but we’ve seen it time and time again across Wisconsin. Once you hand over the gold, the scammer gone along with your life savings, and that’s how it happens. *** woman told our station in Wisconsin this tactic unraveled her life. How much money in gold is in this bag? 339,750. The scammer kept coming back for more, even claiming her house was caught up in this, saying people were filing legal claims against her own property. I sold my house. I sold it in *** week. I was out of there in *** month. He’s running, but there are instances when police step in to make the bust. Get on the ground. These scams originate overseas, and federal authorities say they just busted the people behind some of them, shutting down call centers in India. But in order to collect the gold right here in the US, the scammers need to send lower level accomplices. Like this pair, Antonio Pena and Brandy Durst, FBI and local police caught them in *** sting operation in Washington state. Prosecutors say they crisscrossed the country picking up gold bars from victims not just in Washington but Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kentucky. You know exactly what you’re doing, bro old people. Now they’re facing conspiracy to commit. Money laundering charges. So how do you protect yourself? Never click on any pop-up ad or link in an email that you’re not familiar with, especially if it’s using urgent language. Instead, think about the request, considering if it’s real or not. Now also, never agree to meet up with *** stranger to deliver cash or anything of value. And remember, the US government or your bank will never ask you to purchase something like gold and pick it up from you. In Washington, I’m John Cardinelli.
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Gold scams surging nationwide, costing victims hundreds of millions
Concerns about the economy often drive people to invest in things like gold. Now, as gold prices continue to spike, scammers know we’re trusting gold to be a good investment and a way to keep our money safe. Federal investigators are sending out the warning that scammers are ready to exploit that trust in a fast-growing scheme that’s costing Americans hundreds of millions of dollars, just this year alone. The Federal Bureau of Investigation says “gold courier” scams resulted in more than $262 million in losses nationwide between January and October 2025, according to new data obtained by Hearst Television.The scams have hit victims across the country. Looking closer at the numbers, the data estimates statistics for that same time period, reporting the purchase of gold bars and coins relating to scams like government impersonation scams and tech support scams.Federal and state law enforcement agencies say the schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting the lives of those who are convinced to participate in the scam. It’s not just a warning for seniors, but for everyone. HOW IT WORKS Our Hearst stations have been documenting how this scam unfolds, noticing similar patterns from state to state.Investigators say the scam typically begins with a phone call, email, text message or alarming pop-up on a computer. The scammer claims to be from your bank or a federal agency such as the FBI, IRS or Federal Trade Commission.The scammer will tell you that your bank accounts have been compromised, urging you to act immediately to protect your money. Scammers then tell you to withdraw large sums of cash and use it to purchase gold bars or coins from a dealer. They claim the gold will keep your money safe from hackers.If you’re lucky, at this stage in the scam, a dealer might stop you. In Boston, a gold dealer grew suspicious when a woman urgently tried to buy $500,000 worth of gold bars. The dealer contacted the FBI, which intervened before the transaction was completed. But not all gold dealers know about it and authorities say not all victims are that fortunate.Once the gold is purchased, you’re to put it all in a box or bag and hand it over to a courier who comes to your home or meets you nearby. Then, your money is gone. James Stratton, a reporter at Hearst’s WISN, has been following this scam and the toll it’s taken on people in Wisconsin. One woman told him that she handed over more than $339,000 in gold. The scammer continued to demand more, eventually convincing her that legal claims were being filed against her home.”I sold my house,” she said. “I sold it in a week. I was out of there in a month.”ARRESTS AND INTERNATIONAL TIESFederal authorities say many of the operations originate overseas. Investigators recently shut down call centers in India believed to be connected to some of the schemes.But to retrieve the gold inside the United States, scammers rely on domestic accomplices as the couriers. In Washington state, the FBI and local police arrested Antonio Pena and Brandi Durst during a sting operation. Prosecutors allege the pair traveled across the country collecting gold bars from victims in Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kentucky.They are now facing federal conspiracy to commit money laundering charges.HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELFBe wary of any phone calls or emails that create a sense of urgency. Resist the pressure to act quickly. Criminals will urge you to act fast as a fear tactic.Be skeptical of anyone claiming your accounts are compromised and demanding immediate action.Never click on unfamiliar pop-ups, links, or email attachments.Doublecheck to see if the phone number or email looks right. Rather than trusting phone numbers in an email or message, look up the number (i.e. for your bank) on a search engine and call them directly.In an email or pop-up, look for spelling and grammatical errors or unnatural phrasing. Do not agree to meet a stranger to hand over cash, gold or other valuables.Remember that no legitimate U.S. government agency or your bank will ask you to buy gold and arrange for a courier pickup. Neither of those will never ask you to send money via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift/prepaid cards, etc. Click here for more tips. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU’VE FALLEN VICTIM TO A SCAM Officials stress that anyone who believes they have been targeted or victimized should report it immediately to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Run a virus scan software to check for potentially malicious software installed by the scammers and consider having your computer professionally cleaned. Contact your bank, which will help you take more steps to protect your identity and your accounts. Change your passwords if the scammer had access to your device. Expect to be contacted again because scammers tend to share victim information and go back to victims they could possibly get more from. Keep all documents, emails, logs of communication, etc. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
Concerns about the economy often drive people to invest in things like gold. Now, as gold prices continue to spike, scammers know we’re trusting gold to be a good investment and a way to keep our money safe. Federal investigators are sending out the warning that scammers are ready to exploit that trust in a fast-growing scheme that’s costing Americans hundreds of millions of dollars, just this year alone.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says “gold courier” scams resulted in more than $262 million in losses nationwide between January and October 2025, according to new data obtained by Hearst Television.
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The scams have hit victims across the country. Looking closer at the numbers, the data estimates statistics for that same time period, reporting the purchase of gold bars and coins relating to scams like government impersonation scams and tech support scams.
Federal and state law enforcement agencies say the schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting the lives of those who are convinced to participate in the scam. It’s not just a warning for seniors, but for everyone.
HOW IT WORKS
Our Hearst stations have been documenting how this scam unfolds, noticing similar patterns from state to state.
Investigators say the scam typically begins with a phone call, email, text message or alarming pop-up on a computer. The scammer claims to be from your bank or a federal agency such as the FBI, IRS or Federal Trade Commission.
The scammer will tell you that your bank accounts have been compromised, urging you to act immediately to protect your money.
Scammers then tell you to withdraw large sums of cash and use it to purchase gold bars or coins from a dealer. They claim the gold will keep your money safe from hackers.
If you’re lucky, at this stage in the scam, a dealer might stop you. In Boston, a gold dealer grew suspicious when a woman urgently tried to buy $500,000 worth of gold bars. The dealer contacted the FBI, which intervened before the transaction was completed. But not all gold dealers know about it and authorities say not all victims are that fortunate.
Once the gold is purchased, you’re to put it all in a box or bag and hand it over to a courier who comes to your home or meets you nearby. Then, your money is gone.
James Stratton, a reporter at Hearst’s WISN, has been following this scam and the toll it’s taken on people in Wisconsin. One woman told him that she handed over more than $339,000 in gold. The scammer continued to demand more, eventually convincing her that legal claims were being filed against her home.
“I sold my house,” she said. “I sold it in a week. I was out of there in a month.”
ARRESTS AND INTERNATIONAL TIES
Federal authorities say many of the operations originate overseas. Investigators recently shut down call centers in India believed to be connected to some of the schemes.
But to retrieve the gold inside the United States, scammers rely on domestic accomplices as the couriers.
In Washington state, the FBI and local police arrested Antonio Pena and Brandi Durst during a sting operation. Prosecutors allege the pair traveled across the country collecting gold bars from victims in Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kentucky.
They are now facing federal conspiracy to commit money laundering charges.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
- Be wary of any phone calls or emails that create a sense of urgency. Resist the pressure to act quickly. Criminals will urge you to act fast as a fear tactic.
- Be skeptical of anyone claiming your accounts are compromised and demanding immediate action.
- Never click on unfamiliar pop-ups, links, or email attachments.
- Doublecheck to see if the phone number or email looks right. Rather than trusting phone numbers in an email or message, look up the number (i.e. for your bank) on a search engine and call them directly.
- In an email or pop-up, look for spelling and grammatical errors or unnatural phrasing.
- Do not agree to meet a stranger to hand over cash, gold or other valuables.
- Remember that no legitimate U.S. government agency or your bank will ask you to buy gold and arrange for a courier pickup.
- Neither of those will never ask you to send money via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift/prepaid cards, etc.
Click here for more tips.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU’VE FALLEN VICTIM TO A SCAM
Officials stress that anyone who believes they have been targeted or victimized should report it immediately to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- Run a virus scan software to check for potentially malicious software installed by the scammers and consider having your computer professionally cleaned.
- Contact your bank, which will help you take more steps to protect your identity and your accounts.
- Change your passwords if the scammer had access to your device.
- Expect to be contacted again because scammers tend to share victim information and go back to victims they could possibly get more from.
- Keep all documents, emails, logs of communication, etc.
