from The Epoch Times:
‘They create a sense of urgency. Most people hang up or don’t answer, but one out of a thousand people believes them,’ one police detective said.
SHOW LOW, Ariz.—The coin shop owner had seen his share of hefty deals, but this call caught him off guard. An elderly man from nearby Snowflake, Arizona, wanted to purchase gold coins valued in the tens of thousands.
The next day, when the man walked into the shop in Show Low, his nervousness was obvious. The man was clutching his phone, hanging onto every word from a woman’s voice that seemed to be directing him.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
“Before we sat down and talked about price or product or anything, he had a $180,000 cashier’s check already made out,” the shop owner, who requested to remain anonymous, told The Epoch Times. “I thought it was kind of strange.”
The man stumbled over basic questions, anxious to speed through the sale.
The shop owner’s unease grew—was this elderly customer being manipulated by a scammer?
Taking care not to alert the woman on the line, he discreetly slipped the man a note asking if he needed help. Certain now that something was amiss, he reached out to the police.
The FBI and other agencies quickly took on the case. Two weeks later, they arrested a suspect and uncovered a complex scheme that had already stolen $100,000 in gold coins from the 79-year-old man.
Known as the “Gold Bar” government impersonation scam, the scheme draws in unsuspecting elderly, retirement age, and vulnerable people.
A letter in the mail, an email, or a phone call informs the victim their identity has been stolen and their bank or investment accounts are in danger.
Then, the victim may be told they can protect their money for a short time if they act fast.
