NYPD warns seniors about jewelry-swap scam targeting gold pieces

The scam is built on a split second of trust. A stranger asks for directions, offers a blessing or starts a friendly conversation, then closes the distance long enough to touch a victim’s jewelry and quietly replace real gold with a fake piece. By the time the victim notices, the original necklace or ring is gone, and in the most recent cases the losses have climbed into six figures.

The New York Police Department said the deception theft has hit primarily older adults, and local reporting cited 11 incidents between February and March 2026 in Brooklyn and Queens alone. Another report put the total losses at more than $900,000. In one March 13 case in Queens Village, a 76-year-old woman lost a necklace valued at $3,000. One suspect identified in local coverage was 22-year-old Stefania Alexandru, described as a Romanian national and charged with grand larceny.

Lt. Kevin Kelly, identified by the department as its chief of crime control strategies, warned in a precinct video that the swaps happen with alarming speed. "It's so fast," he said. That speed is what makes gold such a tempting target. A recognizable chain, a heavy pendant or a ring worn daily can be lifted and replaced before the victim realizes anything has changed, especially when the piece is worn in plain sight and close enough to be touched.

Police said the scam often works in groups and has turned up across the five boroughs, with alerts from precincts in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Earlier warnings also noted that scammers may use children or emotional stories to pull attention away from the actual handoff. The NYPD said its prevention work includes public-awareness safety lectures and citywide scam-awareness campaigns run with community groups and retailers.

For older New Yorkers, the safest move is to keep jewelry hidden when possible, especially gold pieces with obvious value or sentimental weight. Stay alert when walking outside, do not allow strangers to get close enough to place an arm around you or touch your neck or hands, and treat any sudden blessing, distraction or request for help as a warning sign. NYC Aging also advises residents to let unknown calls go to voicemail, never share personal or financial information with strangers, and hang up or report suspicious activity when something feels off. In a theft designed to look polite, distance is the best protection.