Authorities Dismantle International Gold Bar Scam Operation

Authorities in Maryland, in collaboration with federal agencies, have successfully shut down three call centers in India that were involved in a fraudulent operation, which tricked American consumers into losing nearly $50 million. The announcement was made on Monday, February 2, 2026. This operation had preyed on over 600 individuals across the United States through deceptive practices involving wire transfers, cryptocurrency transactions, and gold bar scams.

The scheme’s six primary architects have been apprehended, as confirmed by the authorities. An investigative report by ABC News previously highlighted that these con artists, masquerading as federal agents, leveraged the rising value of gold to deceive victims—mostly seniors—into converting their savings into gold bars. The perpetrators then dispatched ‘couriers’ to physically collect these gold bars, under the guise of securing them in a safe location.

John McCarthy, Montgomery County State’s Attorney, addressed this issue during a press conference held at the Montgomery County Police Department in Gaithersburg, Maryland on February 2, 2026.

In a previous interview, ABC News spoke with a suspected courier who was incarcerated, facing charges in two states for his alleged role in the fraudulent activity. The courier asserted that he was recruited by someone in India and received payments ranging from $800 to $4,000 per assignment, which involved picking up packages suspected to contain gold bars.

State Attorney John McCarthy announced that his office has issued indictments against 10 couriers implicated in collecting money from the scam’s victims. Several cases have already resulted in convictions. He emphasized, “They’re targeting people who have retirement money, who have pensions, who have investments, who’ve maybe sold their homes and have that money in reserve.”