A couple in Fairhope, Alabama, lost more than $200,000 after falling for a scam that involved fake computer warnings, people pretending to work for a bank, Bitcoin machines, and gold bars. Federal investigators say this case is part of a growing national scam that mainly targets older adults.

Local news outlet, 1819 News, reported on the case on Sunday. The scam apparently started in August when the wife saw a pop-up message on her iPad. The message claimed her Apple account had been hacked and told her to call a phone number right away.

Thinking the warning was real, she called the number. A man answered and used the name “Scott Gibson.” He later transferred her call to another man who said his name was “Robin Stall.”

Stall claimed he worked for the couple’s bank. The report does not explain how the scammers learned which bank the couple used, but it is reasonable to assume the woman was somehow tricked into providing that information.

He told the woman that hackers were trying to steal $12,500 from her account. Stall said the only way to “protect” the money was to take it out of the bank and put it into a Bitcoin machine.

He warned her not to tell anyone at the bank, saying the hacker worked there and that it was an inside job. Believing the story, the woman went to several locations in Fairhope to deposit the money.

During the process, the woman became upset and called her husband. He came to help her, but instead of finding out what was really going on, he ended up helping her finish sending the money through the Bitcoin ATMs.

At that point, they believed they had stopped the hackers. But the scam continued. Investigators say Stall later convinced the couple to wire $190,000 from their bank account to a bullion shop to buy gold bars. They probably convinced the couple that more of their money was at risk, and the only way to stop it was to convert it into gold.

The gold was shipped directly to their home. The couple was told this would keep their money safe. After the gold arrived, federal agents say a man named Pradeep Patel drove from Georgia to Fairhope to pick it up. On another day, a second man, Saurav Sharma, met the couple at a local business to collect another gold bar.

The report does not say how the scammer convinced the couple to hand over their gold.

Patel and Sharma are now charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Authorities say Patel is from India and Sharma is from Nepal. Both were in the United States on visas that had expired.

Investigators also say Patel is connected to a similar scam in South Carolina. In another case, a man arrested in Mississippi for running a similar scam told the FBI that Patel taught him how to do it. This helped investigators connect the Fairhope case to a larger fraud network.

The FBI says scams like this are happening more often across the country. The FBI’s Boston office reported more than 100 cases involving couriers picking up cash or gold bars between 2023 and May 2025. Those cases caused losses of more than $26 million.

Nearly all of the victims in those cases were over the age of 60. Nationwide, the FBI says similar scams caused losses of about $186 million during the same time period.

Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, highlighted these scams, saying:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also warns the public about these scams. The FTC says real government agencies will never tell people to buy gold bars, move money to “secure” accounts, or give cash to someone for safekeeping.

The FTC also warns about Bitcoin ATM scams. Scammers often tell victims to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine. Once the money is sent, it goes straight to the scammer and cannot be recovered.

“Only scammers will tell you to do that,” the FTC warns. Officials urge people to slow down, question unexpected messages, and contact banks or companies using trusted phone numbers.

The best way to protect your loved ones from scams is education. Sit down with your parents and older friends and have an honest conversation about how these scams operate. Walk them through the common tactics scammers use and point out the red flags to watch for so they can recognize a scam early and avoid becoming a victim.