New this week: fake job offers and gold courier scams
Silas was updated this week with two new protections — both targeting scams that have been hitting older adults especially hard. Here's what they look like and what to watch for.
What's new this week
Fake job offers that ask you to buy a gift card first
Someone reaches out about a job — sometimes by email, text, or even a message on a job-listing site. The offer sounds real, maybe even exciting. But shortly after you say yes, they ask you to buy gift cards "to get your equipment," "to activate your account," or "to receive your first assignment materials." Real employers never ask for this. Once the cards are bought and the codes are shared, the money is gone and so is the "employer." Silas now recognizes these requests and shows a warning before you go further.
Gold bar and cash pickup scams
This one is alarming because it often involves a real person showing up at your door. Scammers — sometimes posing as your bank, a government agency, or even law enforcement — tell you your money is at risk and that you need to withdraw cash or buy gold bars right away. They then send a "courier" to collect it from you directly, promising to keep it safe. No real bank, government office, or law enforcement agency will ever send someone to your home to pick up cash or gold. Silas now flags the language and pages associated with this tactic.
A note on urgency: Both of these scams rely on making you feel like you have to act immediately — before you can think it through or call a family member. That pressure is the warning sign. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards or hand cash to a stranger before you've had time to check with someone you trust, stop and make that call first.
As always, Silas works quietly in the background. When it spots one of these tactics on a page you're visiting, it shows a clear, calm warning and links to the FTC's Scam Guide for more information.
We'll keep posting updates here each time Silas learns something new, so you always know what's been added. If something still feels off even after Silas gives the all-clear, trust your instincts — no tool catches everything, and a quick call to a family member is always the right move.
Silas is free on the Chrome Web Store, and everything runs privately on your own device — nothing you browse is ever collected or sent anywhere.