Scam Alert! Gold Bar Scam: Montgomery County, MD
State's Attorney John McCarthy joined with Montgomery County Police, the FBI, and Department of Homeland Security for a news conference on August 12, 2024, to discuss the "Gold Bar Scam."
The scam often begins with fake pop-up ads on your computer or with phone calls where the scammers impersonate government officials. Scammers may tell you that your identity has been compromised and to protect your assets you need to immediately convert your money into gold bars and hand it over to them for “safe keeping.” Many of the victims are seniors, so we ask that you share this information with any aging adults in your life.
We currently have four criminal cases involving five defendants in Montgomery County, but there are additional cases under investigation. In total, there are about 20 total reported cases involving MILLIONS of dollars stolen. Please view the Joint News Conference regarding the Gold Bar Scam.
Reminders from the FBI:
- The US Government and legitimate businesses will never request you purchase gold or other precious metals.
- Protect your personal information.
- Never disclose your home address or agree to meet with unknown individuals to deliver cash or precious metals.
- Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups on your computer, links sent via text messages, or email links and attachments.
- Do not contact unknown telephone numbers provided in pop-ups, texts, or emails.
- Do not download software at the request of unknown individuals who contact you.
- Do not allow unknown individuals access to your computer.
The State's Attorney's Office Prosecution Data Dashboard
Montgomery County is the first jurisdiction in the state of Maryland to release a data dashboard to promote more effective, just, and transparent decision-making in prosecution. For more information please visit the data dashboard homepage.
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Speak Up Save A Life
To tackle the opioid epidemic and reduce the number of overdose deaths, the State's Attorney's Office has initiated Speak up Save a Life, an Opioid Overdose Education and Prevention Program. For more information please visit the Speak up save a life homepage.
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Choose Respect
Are you in an abusive relationship and don't know what to do? Free help is available. Anyone seeking dating violence-related assistance can: Call 240-773-0444. During non-business hours, call the Crisis Center at 240-777-4000. In the event of an emergency situation, please dial 911. For more information, visit the Family Justice Center website
Careers
We are currently accepting resumes for Attorney Positions. Visit the Employment page for more details
Assistant State’s Attorney: This entry level positions is assigned to the District Court Division. starting salary, $80,000.00
Lateral Assistant State’s Attorney: This position may be assigned to different specialized divisions within the office. Starting salary is negotiable based on experience.
The State's Attorney's Office for Montgomery County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
If you or someone you know is a victim of a crime, we are here to help:
In case of an emergency call 911
- Domestic Violence Do you feel unsafe at home? Are you concerned about a neighbor or loved one? Free help is available.
- Elder Abuse If you or someone you know is a victim of elder abuse, the Crimes Against Seniors and Vulnerable Adults Unit is here to help.
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- Financial Crime If you or someone you know is a victim of a financial crime, we will contact you. Please complete the Financial Crime Intake Form.
- Hate Crime If you are a victim of, or witness to a hate crime, we are here to help protect all residents of Montgomery County.
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The States Attorney's Office is a State of Maryland entity and is not a department or agency of the Montgomery County Government. This web page is linked to the Montgomery County Government web site as a convenience to users.