FBI warns crypto investment scammers are using couriers to collect cash

The FBI warned on June 15, 2026 that some cryptocurrency investment scammers are arranging in-person cash pickups after victims are drawn into fake investment platforms.

The dangerous point is the courier request. If someone you met through a text, social message, dating conversation, investment group, or crypto platform asks you to withdraw cash and meet an unknown person, stop before the meeting. A password, code, or dollar-bill serial number does not make the pickup legitimate.

The IC3 PSA says the victims are usually senior citizens. It does not name specific platforms, apps, domains, couriers, wallets, or loss totals for this alert, so those details should not be inferred from the warning.

What the FBI alert confirms

• Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center Public Service Announcement I-061526-PSA.
• Alert date: June 15, 2026.
• Scam type: cryptocurrency investment fraud with in-person cash collection by couriers.
• Who may be affected: the PSA says victims are usually senior citizens, but the mechanics can matter to anyone contacted about an online crypto investment.
• Main risk: a fake online investment relationship moves into an offline cash pickup, sometimes after a bank blocks suspicious transfers or after the fake platform claims an account is flagged.
• First safe step: do not give your home address or meet an unknown person to hand over cash or valuables for an investment.

How the scam moves from fake profits to a cash pickup

The FBI describes a relationship-and-investment sequence, not a one-message payment request. The cash pickup usually appears after the scammer has already made the fake platform look useful or profitable.

1. The first contact may come through social media, an unsolicited text, a business or romantic pretext, or a person presenting themselves as a cryptocurrency investment expert.
2. After trust is built, the scammer directs the victim to use specific cryptocurrency trading applications, create investment accounts, or send wire transfers to bank accounts described as platform deposit accounts.
3. The victim may see fictitious returns on a website or dashboard, which can make additional deposits feel like they are working.
4. If a financial institution denies a suspicious transfer, or if the fake platform says the account is flagged, scammers may say cash pickups are required to continue investing or to pay fines, taxes, or penalties before withdrawal.

That last step is the point to treat as a stop sign. A real investment firm should not need an unknown person to collect cash from your home or a public location so a crypto dashboard can update.

The courier code does not make the pickup legitimate

The IC3 PSA gives one detail readers should not overlook: scammers may give the victim a U.S. dollar bill serial number, password, or other code. When the courier arrives, the courier may show that dollar bill or provide the agreed code to appear connected to the investment contact.

That is coordination inside the scam, not independent verification. The earlier FBI courier warning from January 2024 described similar passcode tactics in tech support and government impersonation scams involving cash or precious metals.

Why the fake platform can still look real

The FBI’s warning fits a broader pattern that consumer-protection and investor-protection sources have described for relationship investment scams. The platform may show gains, the contact may seem patient and knowledgeable, and the first request may be small enough to feel manageable.

• A fake dashboard can show deposits or returns that are not actually available to withdraw.
• The scammer may allow apparent early progress to build confidence before asking for more money.
• The withdrawal stage may turn into repeated demands for taxes, penalties, fines, or account-unlocking payments.
• If a bank blocks a wire or questions the transaction, the scammer may present cash pickup as an alternative route instead of a warning sign.

What to check before withdrawing cash or paying another fee

Do these checks outside the chat, app, website, or phone number provided by the person promoting the investment.

• Do not meet a courier, give a home address, or move cash because an online investment contact told you to.
• Search more than the platform name. The FBI recommends checking the URL, identifying details on the pages, screenshots of the app, reviews, and scam or complaint results.
• If a person claims to be an investment professional, check independent registration records instead of screenshots, chat profiles, or documents they send you.
• If money already moved, contact the bank, wire-transfer provider, or cryptocurrency exchange connected to the transaction before paying any additional withdrawal fee, tax, fine, or penalty.
• If a courier pickup is scheduled or someone is on the way, contact local law enforcement. ScamClarity cannot provide emergency help or recover money.

If this matches something you saw

Where to report or verify

The FBI asks victims to file a complaint with IC3 and include as much detail as possible: contact names, company names, websites, apps, emails, phone numbers, profile names, bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, recipient names, screenshots, messages, and app information.

• Use IC3 for cyber-enabled crime reports. IC3 says people can file even if they are unsure whether a complaint qualifies.
• Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov for a consumer fraud report to the FTC.
• Contact the bank, wire-transfer provider, payment app, or cryptocurrency exchange connected to any payment. That step is separate from filing an agency report.
• If the situation may involve an investment, securities, commodities, or derivatives issue, the SEC and CFTC also accept tips or complaints through official channels.
• Victims age 60 or older who need help filing an IC3 complaint can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311, according to the FBI PSA.