06/17/2026
Belfast Community PLEASE SHARE!!!
We have become aware of a scam being perpetrated on unsuspecting folks, referred to as the "Gold Courier Scam," that plays out below;
How the Scam Works
1. The Initial Scare: The scammer contacts you via a phone call, text, or a computer pop-up message. They impersonate tech support (e.g., Microsoft), bank fraud investigators, or government entities like the FBI or Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
2. The Fake Crisis: They claim your bank accounts have been "compromised," hacked, or linked to serious crimes like child exploitation or drug trafficking.
3. The Gold "Protection" Asset: They instruct you to urgently liquidate your savings, take out cash, and convert it into gold bars or precious metals to "safeguard" your wealth from being seized.
4. The Courier Pickup: Once you buy the gold, the scammers dispatch a physical courier directly to your home or a public location to collect the gold for "safekeeping". Once the courier drives away with the physical gold, the money leaves the banking system, making it nearly impossible to trace or reverse.
Golden Rules of Protection
• No Legitimate Entity Will Ask For Gold: No government agency, local police department, or financial institution will ever instruct you to buy gold, silver, or crypto to protect your money.
• Never Hand Assets to Strangers: No real agency will ever send a physical courier to your home or meet you in a parking lot to take cash or valuables.
• Ignore Pop-Ups & Urgent Calls: If you receive an urgent call about your money being frozen, hang up immediately. Do not call numbers provided in computer pop-ups.
• Verify Independently: Call your bank or financial institution directly using the official telephone number printed on the back of your debit/credit card—not the number the caller gives you.
What To Do If You Are Targeted
If you or someone you know has been contacted by these fraudsters, or if you have already handed over assets, take immediate action:
• Contact Local Law Enforcement: Call your local Maine police department right away to report the incident. (In past cases, such as in S**o, police have successfully intercepted couriers and made arrests when notified early).
• File an FBI IC3 Complaint: Report the details immediately on the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center website.
• Report to the FTC: Submit a fraud report directly to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Get Elder Fraud Assistance: If the victim is 60 or older, you can get specialized help completing fraud reports by calling the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
If you or someone you know may have already fallen victim to this scam, please contact us at 338-2040.
