Scam Costs Rochester Couple Over $300,000

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- An elderly Rochester couple is out over $300,000 after falling victim to a scam. 

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Rochester Police Captain Casey Moilanen said the reported scam started on July 7 when the woman reported getting a message on the couple's computer that the device was locked up. The message prompted her to call a phone number that was displayed, saying the number was for Microsoft help. 

Related: Scam Costs Rochester Woman $33,000

The woman then reported getting a call from an individual posing as a member of the U.S. Marshal's Office. The suspected fake Marshal told the woman the couple's savings account was breached and that $21,000 in their savings was at risk due to child pornography. Moilanen also said the couple was told their Amazon account had been breached and that their phones were wire-tapped. 

The woman made four wire transactions following the call that totaled a combined $303,000. Moilanen said the scammer was making attempts to scare the couple to comply with their demands and likely got their phone number when the woman called the phone number displayed on the message on the couple’s computer.

The number from the faux U.S. Marshall was manipulated to show the call was coming from the U.S. Marshal's Office. The couple may not be able to recoup the lost funds, Moilanen said.