A Kent County scam target was told to buy gold and hand it to someone claiming to be a federal agent. Deputies say they recognized the setup and sent an undercover detective instead.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office was notified on May 1 that a neighbor was likely being scammed, according to FOX 17.
Investigators said the person being targeted had been instructed to buy gold and give it to a person who claimed to be a federal “agent.”
Detectives determined the gold handoff was a scam attempt and arranged a sting in a business parking lot. The sheriff’s office later released video of the undercover operation on social media.
The Detective Posed As The Scam Target
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FOX 17 reported that one detective posed as the person being targeted and met the supposed “agent” in a business parking lot. During the meeting, the detective stalled for time by pretending to call her partner and acting as if she was speaking with the fake agent’s partner to get a verification code for the handoff.
Instead, the detective was passing coded messages to her own partner and nearby deputies, telling them to move in, according to the report. When backup arrived, she dropped the act, tossed the box into the vehicle, and made the arrest.
Other deputies appeared to arrest another person in the same parking lot, FOX 17 reported.
One Suspect Was Charged In The Sting
The suspect primarily shown in the video was charged with fraud by false pretenses at a value over $100,000 and using a computer to commit a crime, according to FOX 17.
The charges remain allegations unless proven in court. The available FOX 17 report did not list the suspect’s name, the amount of gold involved, or whether the second person seen being arrested in the parking lot had been formally charged.
The Gold Request Was The Warning Sign
The scam followed a pattern federal agencies have warned about: callers claim to be government officials, say a person’s money is at risk, and then tell the victim to buy gold, withdraw cash, or move valuables for safekeeping.
The FBI has warned that scammers have directed victims, often older adults, to liquidate assets into cash or precious metals and hand them to couriers. The Federal Trade Commission gives the same warning clearly: real government agents will not ask people to buy gold bars, deliver gold to couriers, or move money to “protect” it.
Once a supposed federal agent says to buy gold and prepare a handoff, the target is not protecting money. The target is being prepared for a pickup.
Neighbors And Relatives Can Stop The Loss Early
Anyone who receives a call claiming their savings, Social Security number, or bank account is tied to a crime should hang up and contact the agency directly through a verified public number. No one should buy gold, withdraw cash, buy cryptocurrency, wire money, or meet a courier because a caller claims to be from a federal agency.
Families, neighbors, banks, and gold dealers can also interrupt the loss before the handoff. In the Kent County case, deputies were notified that a neighbor was likely being scammed before the supposed federal agent could collect the valuables.
The FBI advises victims to report suspected scams to IC3.gov. The FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.