04/24/2026
FRAUD WARNING! CCSO wants everyone to be aware of a nationwide scam targeting senior citizens. Fraudsters tell victims they are in debt or their bank accounts are compromised. These scammers say you must pay in gold or large sums of cash, then send a courier to meet up to retrieve the money. In some cases they want you to withdraw cash, convert it to gold and then invest it in the Federal Reserve.
If anyone asks you for money, hang up and look up the organization’s actual phone number and call it to confirm. Never provide your banking or credit card information without independently verifying who’s asking for it and why.
For assistance with any suspected fraud, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Call Before You Pay hotline – 239-252-CALL (2255). The hotline is staffed by a CCSO deputy in the Financial Crimes Bureau between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Outside of those hours you can call our non-emergency number at 239-252-9300.
