Denver police are sounding the alarm about a slick "credit card courier" scam after a local resident was hit for nearly $2,000. Investigators say a caller used detailed personal information to sound official, then arranged for someone to show up at the victim's home to collect an "old" debit card. Only later did the resident discover unauthorized charges and withdrawals that drained part of the account.
According to a Facebook post by the Denver Police Department, officers received an online report on March 3 about a scheme that started with a supposed fraud alert on the victim's account. The caller claimed someone had tried to use the card in New Jersey, pointing to a declined $400 Walgreens purchase and a $200 ATM withdrawal. Police say the caller rattled off the victim's email, home address, and the last four digits of their Social Security number, then sent a verification code that the victim read back. After that, someone arrived at the home, cut up the old debit card, took it along and left the victim to later discover that almost $2,000 was missing from the account.
How the courier con works
The "courier" con typically starts with a phone call or text that appears to be from a bank and leans on personal details gathered from data breaches or public records to sound convincing. Victims may be told to cut up their card and either mail it in or hand it to a courier who is supposedly collecting compromised cards. Scammers can then reassemble or otherwise misuse the card information. This pattern has shown up across the country, and as reported by FOX47, fraud experts stress that legitimate banks do not send a courier to pick up your card.
Protect your accounts
Denver police emphasized that banks will never send someone to your home to collect a debit or credit card and urged residents not to share verification codes, personal information or account details over the phone. If you get a call claiming there is urgent fraud on your account, hang up, then call your bank using the number printed on the back of your card. Contact your financial institution and local law enforcement right away if anything seems off. Police also noted that callers who already know pieces of your personal information may still be scammers, often using data exposed in breaches or pulled from public sources, which is exactly why extra caution is crucial.
If you were targeted
If you realize you gave out a verification code or surrendered your card, contact your bank immediately to freeze accounts, dispute any fraudulent charges and change passwords. You should file a report with local police and also alert national authorities. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts online complaints and tracks trends to assist investigators. See guidance from the FBI and consumer-facing resources for detailed steps on reporting and recovery.
