WALDORF, MD – Pennsylvania State Police say they have identified another possible victim in a gold scam investigation that has already led investigators to seize gold and begin looking for the rightful owners. Troopers are now asking for help identifying a woman who they believe handed over a large amount of gold coins during a meeting in Maryland.
Investigators say the case is connected to suspects accused of persuading people to turn over gold. Police have not said whether the woman knew she was being scammed, but they say she may be the latest person caught up in the scheme. The effort to find her comes as troopers continue tracing where the seized gold came from and who it belongs to.
How troopers say the Waldorf meeting happened
According to state police, the encounter took place around 8:20 a.m. Sept. 9 in the parking lot of the Ultra Fuel at 315 Smallwood Drive in Waldorf, Maryland. Troopers said a gray Honda and one of the suspects from a Sept. 10 traffic stop in Milton were involved in meeting the woman there.
Police say the woman was identified in photographs as white and wearing a blue jacket. Investigators believe she handed the suspect a box containing several hundred thousand dollars in gold coins. The amount underscores why troopers are treating the encounter as part of a broader fraud investigation rather than an isolated exchange.
Why police think the woman may have been scammed
Investigators said they do not know whether the woman realized the interaction may have been fraudulent. That uncertainty is one reason police are trying to contact her directly and confirm what happened before, during, and after the handoff.
State police have described the matter as a scam involving suspects who allegedly convinced victims to surrender gold. In that kind of case, officers often try to determine whether the property was taken through deception, whether more than one person was involved, and whether additional victims have not yet come forward. Troopers say they are still working to answer those questions here.
Connection to the Sept. 10 Milton traffic stop
The Maryland encounter is linked to a traffic stop in Milton on Sept. 10, where state police say they contacted suspects tied to the broader gold investigation. That stop became a key lead in the case and helped investigators connect the earlier Waldorf meeting to the people now under scrutiny.
Police have not publicly detailed everything recovered during the stop, but they say it led to the seizure of gold and a search for those who may have owned it. The focus now is on identifying the woman from Waldorf and anyone else who may have turned over valuables as part of the same scam operation.
What investigators are trying to recover now
State police say they are not only looking for the Maryland woman, but also for the rightful owners of gold already seized in the investigation. That effort suggests troopers believe some of the property may have been obtained from multiple people and may still need to be matched to its original owners.
Police are also trying to determine whether there are additional victims who have not yet been identified. In cases like this, investigators often rely on tips, photographs, and descriptions to piece together the movement of valuables and the people who possessed them. Here, troopers say the search remains open on both fronts: people and property.
How to contact Pennsylvania State Police
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Pennsylvania State Police. That includes anyone who may recognize the woman seen in the images released by troopers or anyone who has information about the Waldorf meeting, the gray Honda, or the suspects involved in the Sept. 10 stop.
Police have not released any indication that the woman is accused of a crime. Instead, they are treating her as a possible victim who may have been drawn into the scheme without realizing what was happening. For investigators, identifying her could help confirm how the scam worked and whether others in Maryland or elsewhere were also targeted.
