Two Couriers, Two Stings: Brooklyn Men Charged After Wilton, N.H., Gold-Bar Elder Scam Attempt

Published Oct. 2, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

In late September 2026, Wilton, New Hampshire, police arrested two Brooklyn, New York, men—Xu Dalong and Xiong Zheng—in back-to-back undercover operations after an elderly resident was manipulated through a computer-virus scheme into agreeing to pay in physical gold bars [1][2]. Both are charged with attempted felony theft, held in preventive detention, and subject to immigration detainers [1].

Important: Charges are allegations. Dalong and Zheng are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Local reporting says authorities are still seeking the primary organizer behind the scheme [3].

How the alleged scheme unfolded

According to Wilton police accounts reported by Patch, WMUR, and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript [1][2][3]:

1. Computer-virus hook. Investigators looked into a computer-virus fraud in which the older victim was pressured into making large payments in gold. Reporting on the case described a McAfee-themed virus pitch as part of the manipulation [3].
2. Courier from New York. The primary suspect allegedly arranged for a courier to travel from New York to Wilton to collect the gold.
3. First sting (Sept. 25). Undercover officers arrested Xu Dalong of Brooklyn on attempted felony theft when he arrived for the pickup [1].
4. Second sting (Sept. 28). Undeterred, organizers allegedly sent a second courier. Police arrested Xiong Zheng, also of Brooklyn, on the same charge [1].

Wilton police received assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Search warrants covered vehicles and phones; HSI digital forensics is extracting device data to identify other possible victims [1]. Ages for Dalong and Zheng were not reported in the articles reviewed for this piece.

Police emphasized that legitimate organizations will never demand payment in gold, cryptocurrency, or gift cards [2].

How this fits the national gold-courier pattern

The FBI has warned that tech-support and government-impersonation rings increasingly use couriers to collect cash and precious metals, sometimes using dollar-bill serial numbers as “passwords” [4]. Separate 2026 cases in Hawaii, Illinois, Texas, and Nevada follow the same broad playbook: remote scare, convert savings to gold, meet a courier. The Wilton arrests involve different defendants from those other cases.

Red flags

• Pop-ups or calls claiming your antivirus, bank, or Microsoft account is compromised and that you must pay in gold.
• Couriers traveling interstate to pick up metals from a senior’s home or parking lot.
• Instructions not to tell family, banks, or police.
• A second courier attempt after the first pickup fails—organizers may keep trying.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Do not buy gold or meet anyone based on a remote “support” call.
2. Call local police and your bank using numbers you look up yourself.
3. Report to ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
4. If 60 or older, call 1-833-372-8311.
5. Warn relatives—courier rings often work lists of prior targets.

Case status (as of Oct. 2, 2026)

Defendant	Court / agency	Status as of Oct. 2, 2026	Source
Xu Dalong, Brooklyn, N.Y. (age not reported)	New Hampshire state charges (Wilton / Hillsborough)	Charged with attempted felony theft; preventive detention; immigration detainer; presumed innocent	[1], [2]
Xiong Zheng, Brooklyn, N.Y. (age not reported)	New Hampshire state charges	Charged with attempted felony theft; preventive detention; immigration detainer; presumed innocent	[1], [2]
Unnamed organizer	Under investigation	Not publicly charged in sources reviewed	[3]

Those not convicted are presumed innocent. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. Jeffrey Hastings, “New York Men Arrested During Gold Bar Scam, Placed On Immigration Detainers,” Milford, NH Patch, Oct. 1, 2026. https://patch.com/new-hampshire/milford-nh/new-york-men-arrested-during-gold-bar-scam-placed-immigration-detainers
2. Maria Wilson, “2 accused of targeting NH victim in gold scam,” WMUR, Sept. 30, 2026. https://www.wmur.com/article/arrests-wilton-new-hampshire-gold-scam-93026/73960490
3. “Elderly fraud scheme leads to arrests in Wilton,” Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Sept. 30, 2026. https://ledgertranscript.com/2026/09/30/brooklyn-men-elderly-gold-scam/
4. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Scammers Use Couriers to Retrieve Cash and Precious Metals…,” Alert I-012924-PSA, Jan. 29, 2024. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240129

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