The FBI says cryptocurrency investment scammers are now sending couriers to pick up cash directly from victims after banks or other financial institutions block suspicious transfers. The agency says the fraudsters, often running pig-butchering or romance-baiting scams through social media, dating sites, and messaging apps, authenticate the courier with a password or U.S. dollar bill serial number, then continue the scam by showing fake account gains and demanding more money for bogus taxes or penalties.
Why it matters: This matters because victims may believe an in-person handoff makes the investment scheme legitimate when it is part of the fraud. Consumers should not hand cash to strangers tied to online investment offers, and banks, local police, and fraud teams should watch for courier-based cash collection linked to crypto scams.
Sergiu Gatlan
2026.06.15
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct FBI warning about a specific scam technique: courier-based in-person cash pickups used in pig-butchering and related cryptocurrency investment fraud.
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