Leading valuable metals trader Lear Capital recently helped the FBI thwart a complicated senior gold scheme, according to corporate founder Kevin DeMeritt.
The scam often begins when victims receive an alert on their computer that it has been hacked; They are invited to call a number shown on the screen.
Posing as government officials, bank representatives, or Microsoft support experts, thieves attempt to convince victims to purchase gold to protect their budget because their financial accounts are at risk.
When the funds arrive, the scammers force victims to hand over the gold, promising to keep it safely in a federal vault and then disappear with it.
“Thieves typically target older people and use a pressing and competitive tone, refusing to speak or leave a message with anyone other than their target victim, and urging victims not to tell anyone. ” more, nor to family, friends or monetary institutions. about what’s going on,” Douglas A. Olson, special agent at the FBI Box Office in Portland, Oregon. “The FBI appreciates the help of businesses, organizations and the public in disseminating this very important information to save you , the rest, from the appropriate patients. »
Lear Capital Helps Catch Oregon Gold Thief
In July, the FBI Bureau in Portland and the West Linn, Oregon, Police Department contacted Lear Capital to prevent a fraudulent scheme in which a West Linn couple had already lost about $279,000.
In early June, a number appeared on the husband’s computer screen with commands to call him, according to an article published in The Chronicle.
A user who claimed to be an FBI agent, John Stryker, told the man that the couple’s monetary assets were at risk of being confiscated by hostile actors or frozen through the IRS, and claimed that they would have to constantly touch to protect themselves.
In addition to asking him to download a program so that his computer could receive remote support, the imposter convinced the couple to share personal information and bank statements. They were asked to buy gold bars and pack them in a cardboard box so that a suspected agent could pick them up and send the gold to a secure FBI vault, which, according to The Chronicle, does not exist.
On June 17, the couple banked through their bank account to purchase gold bars totaling $279,475 and, as noted, placed the box in the back seat of a Jeep Wrangler that stopped in front of their home on June 22.
When Stryker asked them to acquire another $193,000 in gold bullion, the couple contacted the FBI on July 3.
On the day the scammer had planned to retrieve the second gold purchase, shortly after the spouse placed a decoy package in the back seat of the vehicle arriving at their home, West Linn police arrested the driver and, in conjunction with the FBI. agents. , arrested him. He was in federal custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center on July 16, The Chronicle reported.
Take Action for Lear Capital Clients
Since learning of the gold fraud scheme, Lear Capital has begun personally calling its consumers to verify each and every gold bullion order it receives and make sure they are not being defrauded. In collaboration with the FBI, this proactive technique prevented significant monetary losses.
The company also continues to assist the FBI wherever possible and has worked with state regulators to expand a protocol for contacting consumers who may have been affected by a scam.
To prevent consumers from being exploited by bad actors, Lear Capital has also added a warning about fraudulent activities.
“Since July 22, 2024, Lear Capital has worked with the FBI and local law enforcement to effectively save you approximately $8 million dollars from falling into the hands of thieves between May 22 and July 21,” said Kevin DeMeritt. “Protecting our consumers from fraud is our most sensible priority. We are committed to [continuing] our collaboration with the authorities for the protection of our consumers.
Other incidents ensued, according to Lear Capital, adding one involving a visitor to Lear who in her car was about to deliver gold to an organization of thieves, when Lear Capital’s sales director warned her to oppose this complex scheme. The company’s intervention prevented the visitor from suffering a significant monetary loss.
Another Lear Capital client, Slyvvis S. , shared data about a call in one of the Lear Capital reviews shared on the Better Business Bureau website.
“Lear Capital’s sales manager smartly spotted the scheme and warned me about fraudulent activity,” Slyvvis wrote. “His intervention saved me from being a victim and saved me a huge amount of money. I must emphasize that Lear Capital played no role in the perpetration of this scheme and attempted theft. I especially highlight this company for its maximum ethics and commitment to the protection and well-being of the visitor. ”
Sharon B. , in a review of Lear Capital on the Better Business Bureau website, said she recently worked with Lear to outwit a scammer looking to get his hands on gold.
“Lear Capital supported authorities to help capture the scammer, without receiving any compensation,” Sharon said. “We all take investments seriously and do our homework. If you are looking for professionalism and high moral standards, I would recommend you to obtain initiated this procedure at Lear Capital.
Founded in 1997 through valuable metals expert and analyst Kevin DeMeritt, Lear Capital offers investors the opportunity to diversify their portfolios through unique approaches to purchasing valuable metals, adding gold and silver individual retirement accounts. Employing a team committed to providing investors with real-time gold, silver, platinum and palladium data and prices, Lear Capital is uniquely positioned to offer investors the convenience of features in line with the experience of a brick-and-mortar institution. To date, the team has processed more than $3 billion in trusted transactions.