From staff reports

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is warning Pennsylvanians about a new variation of a cash scam in which criminals pressure victims to hand over money in person to a supposed “trusted” intermediary.

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said it has received at least two recent reports of scammers successfully collecting cash through in-person pickups. In those cases, victims were told they needed to make immediate payments to resolve urgent situations — claims that were later found to be false. Combined losses in the incidents exceeded $30,000.

“Cash is a scammers’ dream: it is virtually untraceable and essentially allows the scammer to vanish with the victim’s hard-earned money,” Sunday said. “You should never — never — pay cash to someone you do not know.”

Authorities said scammers often create a sense of urgency to prevent victims from verifying the situation. Targets may be instructed to stay on the phone, avoid contacting others, or act quickly to resolve a supposed emergency.

In one reported case, a mother received a call claiming her out-of-state daughter had been in an accident and needed $16,000 immediately. The victim was kept on the phone while the money was collected by an Uber driver who was not known to her.

In another case, a woman encountered a pop-up message on her iPhone alleging fraudulent Apple Pay charges. After calling a number provided in the message, she was instructed to withdraw $15,000 in cash. A person posing as a government agent later came to her home to collect the money, offering an “exclusive code” as supposed proof of legitimacy.

The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is urging residents to take precautions to avoid falling victim to similar scams. Officials advise consumers to avoid clicking on unsolicited links or pop-ups, ignore unexpected calls or texts from unknown numbers, and never withdraw cash in response to an unverified request.

Residents are also encouraged to slow down when faced with urgent payment demands, consult with a trusted person before taking action, and avoid sharing personal or financial information. If someone claims to represent a business or government agency, officials recommend independently verifying contact information and reaching out directly.

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized by a scam is encouraged to contact the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection through its website or by calling 1-800-441-2555.