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Scam alert

Told to Give Cash to a Courier? No Real Agency Does That

Published · Washington and California · kiro7.com · Arrives by a phone call, then someone at the door

The short answer

No bank, police department, court, or government office sends a person to your home to pick up cash, gold, or anything else of value. That holds however the request is explained, whether it is described as keeping your account safe during an investigation, settling a fine, or helping a relative out of trouble. The FBI's June 2026 public service announcement describes couriers arriving at homes and confirming they are the expected person by reading back a dollar-bill serial number or a password the caller supplied earlier. That step is part of the arrangement rather than a sign it is genuine. If anyone offers to collect money from you in person, the safer move is to end the call and check with the organization yourself, on a number you already have.

What is happening

Two police departments described the same arrangement this month. On September 16, 2026, KIRO 7 reported that the Gig Harbor Police Department in Washington had seen callers posing as lawyers acting for an extended family member, asking for cash and offering to send couriers to people's homes to collect it. On September 3, 2026, BakersfieldNow reported that the Bakersfield Police Department in California had taken several reports of callers who said they were from a bank's fraud department or a government agency, told people their money was at risk and should be withdrawn for safekeeping, and then had a courier collect it at the house or an agreed meeting place. The FBI set out the same collection step nationally in a June 2026 public service announcement, in which the pretext was a cryptocurrency investment account rather than a bank or a relative.

How to recognize it

  • There is a reason given why it has to be cash: money is said to be at risk during an investigation, a fine has to be settled, or a relative needs help quickly.
  • You are asked to take money out of the bank and hold it at home, rather than send a transfer.
  • Someone offers to come to you, either to your home or to a shop or car park you agree on, instead of asking you to post or transfer anything.
  • You are given a password, a code word, or a dollar-bill serial number so you can tell the person collecting is the one expected.
  • You are asked to keep the reason to yourself, including from bank staff, and given an explanation for why.
  • The pretext changes between calls but the last step does not: someone comes to collect.

What to do instead

  1. Treat any offer to collect cash, gold, or cards in person as a scam, whoever the caller says they are calling from.
  2. End the call, then look the organization up yourself and ring back on a number from your own records, a statement, or the back of your card.
  3. Talk it through with someone you trust before taking money out. A caller who asks you to keep it private has told you something useful.
  4. Give bank staff the real reason if you are withdrawing a large sum. They see this pattern often and can slow it down with you.
  5. If someone has already arranged to come round, there is no need to open the door. Call your local police on their non-emergency number instead.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

  1. Call your bank and tell them what happened, so they can review the account and watch for further contact.
  2. Report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov, which collects these reports and can work across state lines.
  3. Tell your local police, particularly if someone came to your home or arranged to. Departments in several states are tracking these collections.
  4. Write down what you still remember: the numbers that called, the name and organization the caller gave, the code word you were given, and a description of whoever came.
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Common questions

The caller knew my name, my bank, and part of my account number. Doesn't that mean it was real?
Not on its own. Details like those circulate after data breaches and can be bought, and an opening that uses them is meant to settle the question before it is asked. A real bank already holds your details and has no reason to recite them to you as proof before asking you to do something out of the ordinary.
Does any real organization ever collect cash from someone's home?
No. Banks, police departments, courts, and government offices do not send anyone to collect cash, gold, or cards, and they do not ask you to withdraw money for safekeeping. The FBI's June 2026 announcement treats an in-person pickup as part of the scheme rather than any legitimate process.
The person who came knew the code word I had been given. What was that for?
That step is built in. The caller supplies a password, a code word, or a dollar-bill serial number ahead of time so the handover feels checked and official. All it actually confirms is that the person on the phone and the person at the door are working together.

Practice this safely

Practice ending a call that asks you to withdraw cash, then checking with the organization on a number you already had.

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Told to Give Cash to a Courier? No Real Agency Does That

No bank, police department, court, or government office sends a person to your home to pick up cash, gold, or anything else of value. That holds however the request is explained, whether it is described as keeping your account safe during an investigation, settling a fine, or helping a relative out of trouble. The FBI's June 2026 public service announcement describes couriers arriving at homes and confirming they are the expected person by reading back a dollar-bill serial number or a password the caller supplied earlier. That step is part of the arrangement rather than a sign it is genuine. If anyone offers to collect money from you in person, the safer move is to end the call and check with the organization yourself, on a number you already have.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/courier-cash-pickup-scam

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.