The FBI’s Charlotte field office is sounding the alarm on a revamped scam targeting seniors, where fraudsters cozy up online and then send couriers straight to victims’ front doors to haul away cash or even gold. The pitch often starts as romance, business, or investment talk, persuading older adults to empty savings. Once the money is in hand, a stranger shows up at the house to collect it. Local police and federal agents say that face-to-face pickup makes it far tougher to claw back funds and has already drained older Americans of millions.
The FBI is issuing a new alert to seniors about scammers who will try to trick them out of their hard earned money by sending couriers to come pick up the cash. The scammers claim to offer a business opportunity or a romantic relationship - eventually asking their new "partner"… pic.twitter.com/Lff7MATmzm
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) June 19, 2026
According to a public service announcement from the FBI’s IC3, scammers “arrange for couriers to meet the victims in person to retrieve cash for fraudulent investments.” In an FBI Charlotte post on X, the office urged seniors, families, and caregivers to watch for the scam and to contact authorities quickly if something feels off.
How the courier trick plays out
Investigators say the con usually starts quietly. Fraudsters build trust over days or weeks through dating apps, social media, or unsolicited business and investment outreach. Once they have a victim’s confidence, they steer them to sham trading platforms that display fake profits, nudging people to deposit more and more money in pursuit of those “returns.”
When banks step in and block transfers, the scammers adjust. As detailed by FinanceFeeds, they pivot to an old-school move: sending a courier to pick up cash or gold directly from the victim’s home. To calm any last-minute nerves, the criminals may verify details like serial numbers or use code words to make the handoff seem legitimate.
How big the losses are
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report shows that Americans lost nearly $21 billion to internet-enabled fraud in the past year. People aged 60 and older reported roughly $7.7 billion of those losses, according to the FBI. Those are not typo-level numbers.
Field offices are seeing the courier angle play out in real life too. FBI Boston, for example, has documented more than 100 courier pickups tied to tens of millions of dollars in losses between 2023 and May 2025.
What to do if you or a loved one is targeted
If someone shows up at your door claiming they are there to collect cash, gold, or valuables for an investment, debt, or emergency, do not open the door and do not hand anything over. State consumer alerts flag in-person pickups as a major warning sign, according to Washington’s Division of Financial Institutions.
Instead, report it fast. Keep screenshots of messages, emails, and fake investment dashboards. Save any receipts or bank records, and jot down the courier’s physical description and vehicle details if you safely can. File a complaint with the FBI’s IC3, which also lists the Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 for older victims who need support.
Enforcement and local stings
On the enforcement side, federal prosecutors are increasingly treating couriers as full-fledged accomplices rather than harmless go-betweens. Court filings show that couriers can face charges such as money laundering and conspiracy, and some have received lengthy prison sentences, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Texas.
Local police are also setting up stings when they get tipped off early enough. In Florida, an Apopka cops spring parking lot trap case shows how quick reporting can stop a nearly $20,000 loss before a courier disappears with the cash. The message from law enforcement is consistent: if someone wants to send a stranger to your door for money, that “investment opportunity” belongs with the rest of the trash.
