Phantom Hacker Scam: How Victims Lost Over $6 Million in Gold Bars

The phantom hacker scam starts with a pop-up or call warning that your computer or bank account has been hacked, then passes you from fake tech support to a fake bank and a fake government agent who tell you to move your savings into gold “for safekeeping.” In one case, twelve identified victims aged 61 to 80 lost over $6 million. A courier who picked up gold bars was sentenced on May 21, 2026, to 15½ years in prison.

What happened

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, Syed M. Makki, 38, was sentenced in Kansas City to 15½ years in prison and ordered to pay $4.754 million in restitution.

From 2023 to March 2024, malware on victims’ computers showed them a phone number to call. People on the other end posed as Microsoft, bank officials, government employees and police. They said the victims’ identities were compromised and that their money was not safe in banks.

Victims aged 61 to 80 cashed out bank and retirement accounts, bought gold, and handed it over “for safekeeping.” On March 25 and 26, 2024, Makki collected 16 one-kilogram gold bars worth over $1 million in Colorado and Missouri. He was arrested in Illinois.

Twelve identified victims lost more than $6 million. In a January 2024 warning, the FBI said this pattern caused over $55 million in losses from May to December 2023.

How the call went

Based on the court release and the FBI warning, the scam moves in steps:

• A pop-up appears on the computer with a phone number to call.
• The person who answers poses as Microsoft and says the computer or identity is compromised.
• The victim is passed to a “bank official” who says the accounts are at risk.
• A “government employee” or “police officer” then says the money must be protected.
• The victim is told to turn savings into gold and hand it to a courier.

Red flags

• A pop-up with a phone number. Real companies do not ask you to call from a pop-up warning.
• A handoff from Microsoft to the bank to the government. Each call makes the next one seem more official.
• “Your money isn’t safe in the bank.” This is the core lie of the scam.
• Packaging gold addressed to the “Department of Justice.” No agency holds your gold.
• A passcode to give the courier. It makes the pickup feel official. It is part of the script.

What would have stopped it

• Not calling the number in the pop-up, and turning the computer off instead.
• Calling the bank on the number on the back of the card, not a number from the caller.
• One firm rule: no bank, company or agency asks you to buy gold or hand money to a courier.
• Telling a family member before withdrawing large sums, even when told to keep it secret.

If this happens to your family

• If a courier is coming to the door, call 911.
• Call your bank on the number on the back of your card. Ask about any withdrawals and new accounts.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and at ic3.gov.
• Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm ET. Scammers sometimes pretend to be this hotline, so dial the number yourself.
• Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for support.
• Have someone you trust check the computer before using it for banking again.

This scam depends on keeping a parent isolated on the phone over many calls. FamilyDefender checks unknown calls while they happen and can warn the parent and alert family when a call looks risky.