Daily FGS
NC police bust $2.8 million gold scam in sting outside Walmart, spurring chase and crash: Officers
Police in eastern North Carolina took down a $2.8 million gold scam this week during a “controlled gold drop” outside a Walmart, leading to a chase and crash, Kinston officers said.
The “large-scale” gold-based fraud investigation began in October 2025 when a suspect known only as “Lucas” along with others, convinced a victim that his financial accounts were compromised, according to a Friday afternoon Kinston Police Department news release.
“Lucas” worked with other unidentified individuals posing as federal and financial officials, Kinston police said. The scam targeted an elderly person, according to charges.
Police said the scam worked like this:
- The victim was given a controlled cellular phone by the suspects
- The scammers remotely accessed the victim’s personal computer
- The victim was directed to wire funds for the purchase of gold through The Carolina Coin & Gold Company
- The victim was instructed to photograph the purchased gold
- Scammers told the victim to later surrender the gold to couriers in the Kinston area
The victim later reported a financial loss of $2.8 million, police said.
“During the investigation, the Internal Revenue Service placed a hold on the victim’s accounts,” the news release said.
Kinston police investigators set up a “controlled gold drop” on Thursday to try to catch the suspects, police said.
The sting operation was set up in the parking lot of Walmart at 4101 W Vernon Ave., according to the news release.
“Once the transaction was completed, detectives attempted a vehicle takedown,” officers said.
However, the suspect fled through the Walmart parking lot and then north onto Hill Farm Road, police said.
The driver then continued on Hill Farm Road before crashing into a utility pole at the intersection of Hill Farm Road and Banks School Road.
Michael Francois, 29, of Florida, was arrested in the case, police said.
I always conduct gold transactions in Walmart parking lots. Whatever could go wrong?
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
— GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
Category: Feel Good Stories
Sadly they just captured a low level courier and not anyone meaningfully involved with the scam, which are almost always run off shore from Africa.
Questions…
How old was this senior citizen?
If he was so dumb, how did he accumulate his millions?
Conversely, if he was so smart, how did he get pulled into this scam? Didn’t he have any advisors who told him, “DON’T GO THERE!”?
Once worked in an office with a realtor and a retired history professor who does local historical tours. (I was the “Administrative Assistant” but didn’t wear skirts of any length.)
The professor (a PhD) had fallen for a scam and was in the process of giving access to her bank account – with the realtor lady and I both telling her to stop, hang up the phone, etc.
F.i.n.a.l.l.y. the good Doctor caught on, had to call the bank, and do damage control.
Stupid comes in many forms.