Fraudsters Are Using Couriers to Collect Cash from Victims

Scammers are constantly changing their tactics, and one growing trend involves sending couriers to collect cash directly from victims. These scams often target older adults and may be tied to cryptocurrency investments, impersonation schemes, romance scams, tech support scams, or other fraudulent activities.

Recently, law enforcement in the Pepperell, MA area investigated a case involving an elderly resident who was instructed to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier as part of a scam. Fortunately, the victim worked closely with local authorities, and the suspect was apprehended.

While every scam is different, a common warning sign is someone asking you to withdraw cash and give it to a stranger in person.

Why This Matters in Massachusetts

Fraud and scam attempts continue to affect communities across the Commonwealth, including many of the towns and cities we serve. Criminals use a variety of tactics, from fake investment opportunities and impersonation scams to requests for cash, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, all designed to pressure victims into acting before they can verify the situation.

Recent incidents in Massachusetts have highlighted the use of couriers to collect cash directly from victims. If you’re ever asked to withdraw cash, hand money to a stranger, purchase cryptocurrency, or move funds urgently, take a moment to pause and verify the request. A quick conversation with a trusted family member, local law enforcement agency, or your banker could help prevent financial loss.

How These Scams Work

Scammers often begin by building trust with a victim over time.

Step 1: Gaining Trust

A scammer may contact someone through:

  • Social media
  • Text messages
  • Dating websites
  • Email
  • Phone calls

They may pretend to be an investment professional, a potential romantic partner, a government official, or a technical support representative. Over time, they build a relationship and convince the victim to trust them.

Step 2: Requesting MoneyEnvelope of cash exchanging hands in courier scam

The scammer encourages the victim to send money, often claiming it is for:

  • A cryptocurrency investment opportunity
  • Taxes or fees needed to access funds
  • Emergency assistance for a family member
  • Technical support services
  • Government fines or legal matters

If electronic transfers are delayed or questioned, the scammer may insist that cash is the only option.

Step 3: Sending a Courier

The victim is instructed to withdraw cash from their bank account and meet a courier in person, often at their home or another designated location. To make the arrangement appear legitimate, the scammer may provide a password, code word, or serial number that the courier will use to identify themselves.

Once the cash is handed over, it is often transferred through criminal networks and may be converted into cryptocurrency, making it difficult to trace or recover.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Be cautious if someone:

  • Pressures you to act quickly or keep a transaction secret
  • Asks you to withdraw large amounts of cash
  • Instructs you to meet a stranger and hand over money
  • Claims your investment account is “frozen” or “flagged” and requires additional payments
  • Requests payment through cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers
  • Refuses to let you speak with trusted family members, financial institutions, or advisors

Remember: legitimate businesses, government agencies, and financial institutions do not send couriers to collect cash from customers.

How to Protect Yourself

You can reduce your risk by taking a few simple precautions:

Protect Your Personal Information

Never share sensitive financial information, account details, or your home address with people you do not know or trust.

Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Messages

Unexpected texts, emails, phone calls, or social media messages should always be treated with caution, especially if they involve money or investments.

Verify Before You Trust

If someone claims to represent a company, government agency, or investment firm, independently verify their identity using contact information from official sources.

Research Investment Opportunities

Before investing in any cryptocurrency platform or investment opportunity, search for reviews, complaints, and information from trusted sources. Be wary of promises of guaranteed returns or unusually high profits.

Talk to Someone You Trust

Scammers often try to isolate their victims. If you’re being asked to move money, make an investment, or withdraw cash, discuss the situation with a trusted friend, family member, or financial professional first.

How Main Street Bank Helps Protect Customers

Protecting our customers and communities from fraud is an important part of what we do every day. While scammers are constantly changing their tactics, our team is committed to helping customers recognize potential red flags and make informed financial decisions.

Here’s how we help:

We Encourage Questions

If you’re unsure about a request involving money, we’re here to help. Whether you’ve received a suspicious phone call, text message, email, or investment opportunity, we want you to reach out before taking action.

We Look for Warning Signs

Our team is trained to identify unusual account activity and potential fraud indicators. If something appears unusual, we may ask additional questions to help ensure a transaction is legitimate. We don’t do this to be nosy, but to protect you.

We Provide Fraud Resources

Through fraud alerts, educational resources, and customer conversations, we work to keep our communities informed about emerging scams and ways to stay protected. You can find more information from us on our Fraud Prevention hub.

We Believe in Taking Time to Verify

Scammers often try to create a false sense of urgency. We tell our customers to slow down, ask questions, and validate information independently before withdrawing funds, wiring money, purchasing cryptocurrency, or sharing personal information.

We’re Part of the Community

We consider ourselves a good neighbor, and that means helping those we work with throughout Central Massachusetts and MetroWest protect their financial wellbeing. Sometimes a simple conversation can help prevent a costly mistake.

Remember: If someone is pressuring you to act immediately, keep a financial transaction secret, or hand cash to a stranger, pause and contact Main Street Bank or local law enforcement before proceeding.

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Scammed

If you believe you have been targeted by a scam:Senior woman with glasses looking at smartphone with worried expression while sitting at home. Older person targeted for a scam

  • Stop all communication with the suspected scammer.
  • Contact your financial institution immediately.
  • Report the incident to local law enforcement.
  • File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov.

Adults age 60 and older who need assistance reporting fraud can contact the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

We’re Here to Help

At Main Street Bank, protecting our customers and communities is something we take seriously. If something doesn’t seem right or you’re being asked to move money under unusual circumstances, speak to us before taking action. A quick conversation could help prevent financial loss and protect you from fraud.

Contact Us

Sources

Information in this article is based on information from:

Main Street Bank does not provide cryptocurrency investment services and is sharing this information solely for educational and fraud prevention purposes.