Is someone asking you to send them a box of cash? That’s a major red flag for fraud, and it’s happening more than you’d think. Recently, a resident of Green Valley, AZ, was saved from a fraud when a UPS Store employee flagged their suspicious package full of cash. Don Davis reports for KGUN 9 out of Tuscon, writing:
A Green Valley resident was spared a $15,000 loss after a vigilant UPS Store employee flagged suspicious activity April 16, prompting Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) detectives to intervene before the cash was shipped.
Deputies say the GV resident arrived at the UPS Store at 190 W. Continental Road seeking to send the cash. Detectives tell KGUN that sending cash through parcel services is a major red flag for fraud, and the employee was also aware of this, so they contacted the PCSD Fraud Unit hotline.
When questioned by investigators, the victim reported being contacted by someone posing as a bank employee who instructed them to wire money and send cash to another individual, claiming bank staff were distributing counterfeit currency and asking the resident to assist in an “investigation.” PCSD added the suspected fraudster was most likely not local, and officials have found no evidence of a local connection.
The number of scams targeting Americans is rising, and in 2024 alone Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams. Annie Clinkenbeard writes for the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s TEN Magazine:
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024 — a staggering 25% increase from 2023. This increase comes despite the number of consumer fraud incidents staying relatively flat year-over-year since 2020, Federal Trade Commission numbers show.
A September 2025 Payments System Research Briefing published by the Kansas City Fed notes two key trends in contact and payment methods used for scams that potentially contributed to this increase in losses. The research, conducted by Fumiko Hayashi, vice president of economic research, and Ying Lei Toh, senior economist, found that scammers increasingly contact victims using more novel and interactive methods such as social media, websites and mobile apps. When coupled with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), these methods enable scammers to create especially convincing scams. Scammers also are increasingly directing victims to use newer methods of payment, like cryptocurrencies and payment apps, which provide victims with little to no possibility of stopping or reversing a scam payment.
What are the Most Common Types of Financial Scams?
According to the FTC and Hayashi and Toh’s calculations, in order of highest to lowest dollar amount of total consumer losses in 2024, the five most costly financial scams in the U.S. are:
- Investment scams
- Business imposter scams
- Government imposter scams
- Romance scams
- Online shopping scams
These five scam categories comprised 42% of total fraud losses reported to the FTC in 2020, and roughly 60% from 2021 to 2024.
Action Line: Be wary of anyone claiming to be from an authority or institution who suggests that you need to move money or give them your information. And if you become a victim, report your scam. USA.gov has a form you can fill out to report scams here. Calling your local police is also important.
