05/13/2026
SCAM ALERT. Gold Bar Scam
The scam will start with unsolicited phone calls, emails, texts or pop-ups. The scammer will claim to be from a federal agency, law enforcement or tech support. They will pressure victims to withdraw funds, even telling them to sell their homes to get the funds. They will then tell the victim to purchase gold bars and a courier will secure them. Once the gold is handed over, it disappears and most likely will never be recovered.
The scammer is telling victims they have been connected to crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking or fraudulent financial activity. They may also claim the victim’s financial institution isn’t safe and that physical gold is the only way to protect the assets. The scammer may claim to be with federal agencies. In some cases, they will send a badge photo to appear legitimate. They will warn you that you are under gag order and cannot tell anyone.
No one from the government will ever tell you to buy and deliver gold bars, move your money, or give cash to anyone. If you receive one of these messages, hang up, delete the email or stop texting. Tell someone you trust what happened, and then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Source: consumer.ftc.gov
