My bank says to buy gold bars and hand them to a courier — is this a scam?
Yes — this is the gold-bar courier scam, and the FBI has warned about it by name. A fake “bank fraud agent,” “government official,” or pop-up tech-support warning convinces you your money isn't safe, then directs you to convert it into gold bars or cash and hand it to a courier “for safekeeping” — the courier works for the scammer, and the gold is never seen again. No bank, agency, or legitimate company will ever ask you to buy gold, withdraw cash, or hand valuables to a stranger. If you're already in this conversation, stop now, call your bank on the number printed on your card, and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.
From the research desk — this pattern is one of those documented in This Week's Scam Wave, in Numbers — July 30, 2026 →