FBI officials in Boston said Monday they've seen an uptick in fraudulent activity targeting New Englanders in yet another scam taking advantage of an unsuspecting American public.

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- FBI officials in Boston said Monday they've seen an uptick in fraudulent activity targeting New Englanders in yet another scam taking advantage of an unsuspecting American public.

More than $26 million from 2023 to May of this year was stolen primarily from elderly residents throughout New England in a rising tide of reports of fraudulent couriers collecting bulk cash or gold bars that have resulted in "devastating" financial losses, according to officials at the Boston division office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"We're working hard to educate folks about this troubling trend to prevent others from being victimized," said Ted E. Docks, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston Division.

The FBI said at least 1,737 similar cases were reported nationwide during the same period, with total losses totaling more than $186 million.

"Simply put, what these con artists are doing is cruel," said Docks in a statement. "These literal gold diggers are trying to get rich quick at the expense of our aging family members and friends."

The New England division added that -- during the two-year time span -- 59 victims in Massachusetts lost more than $18 million in at least 103 reported cases in the region.

It was followed by a more than $4 million losses for 15 New Hampshire citizens, a loss of over $2.6 million for around 16 victims in Maine and 13 in Rhode Island who lost more than a half-million dollars.

According to FBI officials, nearly 98% of the victims were over the age of 60.

The bureau said criminal tricksters will deploy at least three different scenarios to scam a victim by using a grandparent story, illegal government impersonator act or some kind of tech-related support scam.

It added that a con artist will try to to collect cash or gold by utilizing an in-person courier sent to a victim's home address or other location.

According to the FBI, as a way to boost credibility, a scammer may give the victim a code, password or "serial number" of some type to seemingly identify if a courier is the person whom the funds should be given.

"The reported losses are likely higher because many victims are ashamed and don't know where to report the fraud, or don't realize they've been scammed," the Boston FBI office stated.

The bureau's Boston division sounded the alarm earlier this year on fraud regarding quit claim deeds, and over the summer in July in an equally-rising number of phone scams targeting U.S. citizens in New England.

On Monday, Boston's special agent in charge made a public plea in a bid to avoid future losses via scams.

"Talk to your loved ones about how to protect what's theirs," Docks stated.