The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center is warning citizens of an increase in in-person scammers showing up at people’s homes to trick them out of their money and personal information.
https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2024/PSA240129
The scammers, known as in-person couriers or mules show up at your home and try to trick you into paying them by liquidating your assets and converting them to gold or other precious metals or cash in most cases.
The scam can target anyone but often it is senior citizens who are robbed.
Scammers are no longer hiding behind the safety and anonymity of the internet, these scammers are brazen showing up in person.
There are numerous versions of the scam, but most are similar. The criminal poses as a government official, tech company employee or other person of importance in an attempt to intimidate and scare the victim into turning over their money to the scammer.
They may claim that the victim’s financial accounts have been or are in danger of being hacked and they are there to help them protect their money.
They then tell victims to liquidate their assets. Sometimes instructing them to wire funds to a metal dealer who will ship the precious metals to victims’ houses or trick them into turning over money or assets in other ways. They tell the victim that the money will be put in a secure account where it will be protected, when in reality the criminals steal the money and disappear.
How to Protect Yourself
Never respond to anyone who comes to your door or contacts you by phone, email or text message asking for personal information or requesting payment.
No legitimate agency or business will ever ask you to convert your assets and hand it over to them.
Keep your personal information private. Don’t post anything even remotely personal on social media.
Do not click on pop-ups on your computer, or respond to unknown email messages, phone calls or text messages.
Install security cameras or a security system at your home.
Never share financial information with anyone.
Freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Transunion, and Experian. This can be done online in just a few minutes.
“The FBI requests victims report these fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI IC3 at http://www.ic3.gov as quickly as possible. Be sure to include as much transaction information as possible. Victims aged 60 or over who need assistance with filing an IC3 complaint, can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, 833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311)”
The Tech Minimalist 