Walton County, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman lost more than $280,000 in a gold bar scheme, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman told her deputies that someone contacted her claiming that her Social Security number had been violated and that she had transferred her to another person pretending to be a federal officer.
“The person instructed the victim to move $10,600 to the ‘Treasury’ and protect the assets by purchasing gold. The scammers pointed the victim to coins and bullion stores and purchased more than $280,000 in gold,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
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Investigators said the woman repackaged the money and delivered it to the designated vehicle using the password provided to the supposed “undercover agent.”
When the victim tried to follow up with the expected officer, she discovered that her phone number had been disconnected. The victim said the fraudster mistakenly claimed that the money would be placed in the US Treasury safe for safety.
“We cannot stress this enough. No legitimate government or law enforcement will require payment or valuables to be transferred through gift cards, cryptocurrency, bullion, Bitcoin or undercover investigations,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Lawmakers said they would hang up, ignore and delete the phone if they received suspicious calls, texts or emails. Please do not provide personal or financial information. You will also need to report the incident to a local law enforcement officer.
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“Our agents help spread the word by talking to our most vulnerable groups. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Tell the people we meet on the grocery line. The more we unite, the more these scammers can stop scam people from their hard-earned money,” said a Walton County representative.
