Two men have been arrested after allegedly posing as federal agents to persuade an 85-year-old woman to hand over almost $200,000 in gold. The case highlights how fraudsters can exploit fears about cybercrime and government investigations to target older people.

Police said the scam began after the woman called a bogus Apple Security number displayed on her computer and was told she had been hacked. The callers allegedly claimed she was required to assist a federal investigation, instructed her to keep it secret, and arranged collections of gold coins and bars. After she reported the fraud, officers set up a further collection using imitation gold and arrested the suspects, who face felony theft-by-deception and complicity charges.