ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The FBI field office in Rochester has investigated dozens of complaints from people ripped off in a devastating scam where thieves pose as government workers and convince victims to liquidate their assets and use the cash to buy gold bars.

“The ones we’ve had locally, more often it is, they’ll have the victims themselves, they’ll direct them to liquidate their bank accounts and either order the gold bars online or go to a gold shop in the area, obtain the gold and then a courier will come to their home and pick it up,” said Ryan Braley, Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI.

The initial contact comes through an online warning or a phone call claiming the victim’s bank accounts have been compromised and to protect their assets, they have to move quickly. The promise is that the gold will be held for safe keeping but once it’s gone, it’s gone.

“There’s few things more heartbreaking than sitting at a kitchen table with an old person when they come to the realization that everything they’ve worked their entire life for, is gone and they’re not getting it back. It’s terrible,” Braley said.

While seniors seem to fall victim most often, this scam is hitting people of all ages. And they’re losing large amounts of money.

“A half million dollars, three-quarters of a million dollars, over a million dollars all in one pop,” said Braley. “You don’t accumulate a million dollars without being pretty intelligent and pretty successful in your life so the fact that you have that kind of nest egg to lose, I think speaks to the fact that these are not dumb people.”

If you think you have been the victim of this scam or any other scam that started on the internet or over the phone, you should file a complaint with the FBI here.

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