Threats · 90 days ago
Blocked transfers are no longer the end of the scam. Fraudsters are pushing victims into in-person cash pickups, so the money leaves the banking rail and moves through a courier handoff that standard transfer controls do not see.
The FBI says the courier proves affiliation with an agreed password or a dollar-bill serial number, then collects cash at a home or public location. The same scam cycle can repeat after a fake wallet balance appears, with more cash demanded for bogus taxes and penalties.
That shifts the control point from the bank to the handoff itself. Any fraud program that only watches for suspicious digital transfers will miss the step where the victim is persuaded to hand over cash offline.
3 sources covering this story
Crypto scammers are sending couriers to victims' homes to collect cash - Help Net Security
The FBI warns that crypto scammers are sending couriers to collect cash from victims after luring them into fraudulent investment schemes.
FBI Warns Courier Cash Pickups Are Driving Crypto Scams
The FBI claims couriers are being used to circumvent bank transfers in crypto investment schemes
FBI: Fraudsters use couriers to steal money in crypto scams
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned that criminals are using couriers to collect money from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, also known as pig butchering or romance baiting.
Part of the PlainSec briefing for 2026-06-17