Heather Curtis
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Two people in Montgomery County paid 300,000 dollars for a box of what they thought was gold. But after they shelled out the cash, they learned they were scammed.

Montgomery County Police said it all started when one of the victims got a call from an acquaintance asking him if he wanted to buy gold from a Gaithersburg resident named Mike. The victim – who owns a gold store outside the United States – took the bait. He also told a friend about the deal and invited him in on it.

Montgomery County Police spokesperson Rebecca Innocenti said the two men met Mike at a Gaithersburg hotel on Aug. 20 and then accompanied him to a storage unit on Christopher Avenue where he showed them what he claimed was a box of gold.

Mike let the men take a sample for testing according to Innocenti. An independent facility confirmed it was gold.

Thinking the deal was legit after the test results came back, the men gave Mike met Mike again on Aug. 21. They gave him $300,000 for the box, but tests showed what was inside was copper.

Police are now looking for Mike and hope two pictures taken by the victims will lead them to him. Innocenti said he faces various fraud charges.

This is just one of many scams Montgomery County Police are investigating according to Innocenti.

“If you’re in situations, something doesn’t feel right about that situation, you think it’s a scam, trust your instinct,” Innocenti said.

Police aren’t sure if anyone else is a victim of this specific gold scam, but Innocenti said Mike may have scammed others and will likely keep it up if he’s not caught.

Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photos: Montgomery County Police)