New York has issued a warning about a gold bar scam targeting the elderly
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has warned of a scam involving gold bars and coins, with the elderly being the primary victims. According to the state attorney general’s office, criminals have stolen more than $100 million over the past two years.
According to The Guardian, the scheme begins with a fake pop-up message claiming that a computer or financial account has been hacked. The message includes a phone number. After the call, the scammers convince the person to grant remote access to their computer, which allows them to access financial information or online banking.
Next, the victims are contacted by someone posing as a law enforcement official. This person claims that the accounts have been compromised and persuades the victim to withdraw funds, use them to buy gold bars or coins, and hand them over to the so-called authorities to protect the money. The scammers also order the victims not to tell anyone about the alleged hack and send couriers to pick up the gold.
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Similar cases have also been reported in Hawaii, Maine, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. In July, scammers contacted an 85-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., via email and phone, posing as U.S. federal agents. They convinced the man that his funds were in danger and advised him to buy gold. The seller, whom the victim contacted to purchase $200,000 worth of gold, recognized the scam and alerted law enforcement. Law enforcement officers apprehended the suspects when they arrived at the man’s home to collect the gold.
The Attorney General’s Office urged the public not to call numbers from pop-up windows, text messages, or emails, and not to grant remote access to their computers to strangers. If someone reports a problem with a bank account, you should contact your financial institution directly. People who believe they have been victims of fraud are advised to report the incident to law enforcement.
