Scammers behind cryptocurrency investment schemes are dispatching couriers to pick up cash from victims in person, the FBI warns.

According to the agency, scammers usually approach victims through social media, text messages, or fake investment personas, luring them into cryptocurrency schemes that use fraudulent trading platforms and fabricated returns to encourage additional deposits.

When financial institutions block suspicious transfers, scammers tell victims that cash pickups are required to continue investing or to pay purported fees needed to withdraw their funds.

At that point, the fraudsters change tactics and arrange for couriers to collect the money in person.

“Once victims obtain cash and inform the primary scammer they have the funds, the scammer arranges to send couriers to retrieve the cash at victims’ homes or public locations. Scammers provide victims with a U.S. dollar bill serial number or another form of code/password,” the FBI said.

“When the courier arrives, they show the victim the dollar bill or provide the agreed-upon password to authenticate the courier’s affiliation with the scammer.”

After the cash is collected, victims may see what appear to be new deposits in their accounts on the fraudulent investment platform. When they later attempt to withdraw funds, scammers often demand additional payments for purported taxes, penalties, or other fees and use the same courier pickup method to collect more cash.

“Prior to investing in any cryptocurrency trading platform, look online for any articles, forums, or reviews which may indicate the platform is a scam. Search more than the name: search the URL, any identifying information on the webpages, screenshots of the “app,” etc,” The FBI advises.

The agency also cautioned against “love bombing,” a social engineering tactic used by scammers to quickly build trust and emotional connections with victims before steering them toward fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.

The FBI’s latest IC3 report found that losses involving cryptocurrency reached $11.3 billion in 2025, including $7.2 billion tied to cryptocurrency investment scams.