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Seniors Nationwide Scammed Into Handing Over Gold
Newser • • business
Key Points:
- Criminals posing as federal agents are scamming older Americans by convincing them to convert their savings into gold bars, then handing them over to couriers for supposed protection.
- In Laramie, Wyoming, a coin shop owner helped police stop a $460,000 gold purchase, leading to a sting operation and the arrest of a courier using the code word "tulip."
- Similar scams have been reported across multiple states, including Wisconsin, Washington, and New York, with losses exceeding $100 million in some cases.
- These schemes often target seniors and are linked to organized crime networks overseas, resulting in nearly $312 million stolen from Americans last year alone.
- Law enforcement has employed creative tactics, such as using chocolate coins as bait, to apprehend scammers involved in these gold bar frauds.
