This May Seem Insane, But It's Happening Here In The Wilds of Pinellas County!

This may seem crazy, but it is no joke. In just the first two months of 2026, PCSO documented 12 courier scam cases totaling more than $1.6 million in losses right here in Pinellas County. This scam overwhelmingly targets the elderly, people who aren't scrolling social media and aren't seeing warnings like this. That's where you come in. Here's how it works: someone calls claiming to be from your bank, law enforcement, or a government agency. They tell you your account has been compromised, or that you're needed to help with a fraud investigation. They ask you to withdraw cash, hand over your bank card, or purchase gold or silver bars and say they will send a courier to your door to collect it. They'll tell you not to tell anyone. They'll tell you to act fast. They'll sound completely convincing. Gold and silver bars. Cash. Bank cards. Yes, really, and people hand them over because scammers are experts at striking fear in their victims. Here's what you need to know: No real bank, law enforcement agency, or government institution will ever send someone to your home to collect cash, gift cards, your bank card, or anything else of value. Ever. The person at your door may not even know they're part of a scam. The real criminals are running this operation remotely, often from overseas. By the time we get involved, the money is gone. So share this. Show it to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors. Tell them: if anyone ever asks you to hand something to a courier, hang up. And yes we know Nana's got a top-tier skincare routine. She'll stop gate-keeping it soon... we think.