A Winnebago County, Wisconsin, woman lost more than $400,000 in retirement savings after scammers used a fake computer pop-up, impersonated federal agencies, and pushed her into a gold courier scam.
The woman, identified by WBAY only as “Mary,” said the fraud took 40 years of savings.
The scheme lasted three months and used several layers of impersonation, including people claiming to represent her investment company, the sheriff’s office, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Better Business Bureau.
The Scam Started With a Fake Computer Pop-Up
Mary said the scheme began while she was scheduling an appointment with her financial advisor and clicked a pop-up that appeared to use the company’s logo. The pop-up locked her computer so severely that she said she could not manually shut it off.
She then received a call from someone claiming to represent her investment company. The caller told her that her account had been hacked and that she was now a suspect in weapons dealing and money laundering.
The caller also claimed someone had taken out a $35,000 high-interest loan in her name and showed her several places where her Social Security number was supposedly being used.
Mary said the callers told her that her financial advisor was also a suspect and warned her not to speak with anyone about what was happening. They also sent a non-disclosure agreement directly to her printer, adding another false layer of authority to the scheme.
The Gold Courier Pickup Happened in a Parking Lot
The callers continued posing as the sheriff’s office, the FBI, and the Federal Trade Commission, making Mary believe multiple agencies were working together to restore her account.
They eventually told her to buy gold to protect her money. Mary spent $131,208 on 24 gold coins.
Then another caller claimed to be from the Better Business Bureau and told Mary she had been dealing with scammers. That caller was also an imposter.
The fake BBB representative arranged for a courier to collect the gold coins from Mary in a fast food parking lot. Mary said she was given only a first name and a password to identify the courier, while the courier had details about her car and clothing.
Bank and Gold Business Employees Asked Questions
Mary said employees at her bank and at the business where she bought gold questioned her about the large cash withdrawals.
She kept making excuses because she believed the money was being recovered and could see what appeared to be money restored in her account.
The scammers also instructed her to buy Bitcoin and thousands of dollars in gift cards. Mary said she drove hundreds of miles around town buying gift cards as the scheme continued.
The fraud ended when she tried to call the person she believed was her Better Business Bureau contact and found that the number had been disconnected.
Police Are Still Investigating, and No Arrests Have Been Made
Mary reported the fraud to police and also contacted the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau.
Lisa Schiller of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau told WBAY the reported loss was unprecedented for one scam reported to the organization.
Local police said they are reviewing all parts of the case, including whether video is available and whether the scam is connected to other crimes.
No arrests have been made, and Mary said she does not know whether any of her retirement savings will be recovered.
Officials Say Gold Courier Scams Are Surging
The FBI reported that people in Wisconsin lost $8.07 million to gold courier scams between January and October 2025, while national losses topped $262 million during the same period, according to WBAY.
The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions said the scam is surging and often targets seniors by convincing them that gold, cash, or other hard-to-trace payments will protect or recover their money.
The FBI has also warned that courier scams often begin with people posing as tech support, financial institutions, or government officials. Victims are told their accounts are at risk and are then instructed to buy gold, silver, or other precious metals before a courier arrives to collect them.
No Real Agency Sends a Courier for Gold, Bitcoin, or Gift Cards
The FTC says anyone who unexpectedly tells a person to buy gold bars and hand them to someone to “protect” money is running a scam. The agency also says no one from the government will tell people to move money, withdraw cash, or give cash or gold to anyone.
Anyone who sees a pop-up claiming an account or computer is locked should not call the number on the screen, click a link, or allow remote access. The safer step is to shut down the device if possible and contact the bank, investment firm, computer company, or agency through a verified phone number or official website.
People who already sent money, bought gold, handed valuables to a courier, installed remote-access software, or shared account information should contact their bank, investment company, card issuer, cryptocurrency platform, or gift card company immediately.
The FBI asks victims to report courier scams and suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov as quickly as possible.