On August 17, 2026, an elderly Naples resident fell victim to a fraud scheme after being contacted by scammers impersonating representatives of a government agency. Using fear, urgency, and deception, the scammers convinced the victim to withdraw $10,000 in cash, place the money inside a package, and ship it overnight to an address in Irvine, California.

After the fraud was reported to the Naples Police Department, members of the department’s Cyber Crimes Unit immediately began working to locate and intercept the shipment before it could be delivered. Investigators coordinated with UPS and law enforcement agencies in California in an effort to stop the package while it was still in transit.

On August 18, 2026, law enforcement successfully intercepted the package before it reached its intended destination. The entire $10,000 was recovered, and arrangements are being made to return the money to the victim. The investigation into the individuals responsible for the fraud remains ongoing.

“Our elderly residents are increasingly being targeted by sophisticated criminals who use fear and urgency to exploit their trust and steal their hard-earned savings. Protecting our senior community from these crimes is one of the reasons we established our Cyber Crimes Unit. This case demonstrates what can be accomplished when our investigators act quickly and work collaboratively with other law enforcement agencies and private-sector partners,” said Naples Police Chief Ciro Dominguez.

The Naples Police Department reminds residents that legitimate government agencies will never instruct you to withdraw and ship cash or demand payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold, or cash delivered via a courier.