BOSTON, MA — Boston police are warning residents about an increase in courier scams targeting older adults.
Scammers are posing as tech support agents, law enforcement officers, government officials and bank representatives to trick victims into handing over cash and precious metals, according to a community alert issued by the Boston Police Department.
The scams typically begin with a phone call, email, text message or computer pop-up claiming the victim’s account or card has been compromised.
Scammers then transfer the victim to another fraudster posing as law enforcement or a bank representative to make the scheme appear legitimate.
Victims are instructed to liquidate assets into cash or precious metals for “safekeeping,” then a courier is sent to collect the items from the victim’s home or a public location.
Some couriers may be complicit in the scam, but many are legitimate businesses unaware they are being used in fraudulent schemes, police said.
In another variation, scammers pose as bank or credit card representatives and arrange for a courier to collect a compromised card, sometimes instructing victims to cut it up first.
Cutting the card does not prevent misuse once the full card details are obtained, police said.
Police emphasized that no financial institution, tech support service or government entity will instruct people to liquidate assets or purchase precious metals.
Those entities will not send a courier to pick up funds, police said.
Residents who receive such requests should hang up and verify information through official phone numbers found on entity websites.
Victims are encouraged to file a police report with their local area station and can also report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
