Seniors in San Diego County were scammed out of a staggering $108 million in 2024, says FBI — why investigators say anyone can be vulnerable to today’s shockingly brazen scams

Scammers get bold, as criminals send couriers to pick up money

As ABC 10 News reports, one audacious scam is occurring almost daily in San Diego, as overseas criminals ensnare innocent victims in a tech support or overpayment scam, and then send a courier to their house to pick up cash.

Dale Marsh, a Carlsbad resident, was nearly a victim of this very crime after receiving a text from a phone number thanking him for purchasing Norton antivirus products.

He called the number to explain he hadn't made the purchase, and spoke to a “very polished, very professional, very non-threatening, very corporate, business-like” rep named Roger who told Marsh he'd have to enter $500 into an online form to have funds sent back to his bank account.

Marsh followed the instructions but then “Roger” claimed he had "accidentally" transferred $50,000 to Marsh’s account and that he would lose his job unless he sent a courier to Marsh to collect the $50,000 back immediately.

Fortunately, Marsh's wife heard this all from another room and called the police, so when the courier showed up in a Dodgers hat, he was greeted with a fake $50,000 as well as an arrest.

Ultimately, four people ended up arrested out of that sting operation, and the FBI is investigating a border transnational crime ring involved with orchestrating the scam.

“Oftentimes we see that these couriers are coming from the greater L.A. area,” Nicole Mondello, an FBI official, said.

While criminals who work overseas generally initiate the scams, the couriers are paid a small fee of around $1,000 to go to seniors' homes and collect the funds.

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How seniors can avoid falling victim to a scam

Rod’s task force has already been a great success, with agents recovering $7.5 million to return to victims. And he thinks it could be a model for other areas as well.

"Once we had centralized reporting by all of our local law enforcement agencies, we realized the extent of the problem," he said.

But while new initiatives like the task force help address the larger issue of elder fraud, it’s important for individuals to protect themselves as well. Here are some tips from the FBI:

• Never answer calls or texts from unfamiliar numbers.
• Look up telephone numbers independently to call back a "business" or "government agency" that contacts them without solicitation
• Never hand over cash, wiring money, or sending cryptocurrency to someone you do not know
• Talk to a friend, family member, or other trusted person before giving any stranger money or personal information.

It's also important to remember that scammers use fear and time pressure to get people to act quickly. “I was a little scared, a little fearful, thinking, here's a $50,000.00 wire transfer," Marsh said.

Rod warned, "they're going to put a timeline on something and say you have to act by this time and generally, it's not enough time to think something through."

If you're being pressured to provide money, just say no so you can avoid becoming one of the thousands who loses billions due to brazen scammers who breach your trust.