Jun. 17—ROCHESTER — Scammers have extracted more than $1.3 million in wealth from Olmsted County residents over the past two years, according to reporting from the Post Bulletin.
Sometimes scammers
target the elderly,
sometimes
restaurant workers
and sometimes
even law enforcement.
They often use tactics that threaten a person with legal consequences or offer them a chance for free money.
How many people get scammed or how much has been stolen isn’t an exact science, with many people afraid to come forward due to embarrassment. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported
$10.3 billion in total losses due to scams in 2022
from reported complaints. A number that has climbed by billions of dollars over the last five years.
“Frauds and scams are very prevalent,” Olmsted County Sheriff’s Capt. Tim Parkin told the Post Bulletin. His office had responded to more than 40 calls related to being scammed in the last six months with romance-type scams starting to become more common.
A romance scam in December 2021 led to a
Byron man being fleeced out of $350,000
after meeting a Danish woman on Match.com. The woman told the man she owned a hotel in Africa and needed money to get it back into working order. The man sent her money in 15 transactions.
Minnesota ranks 24th in the U.S. and its territories for the amount stolen, reaching $103.7 million in 2022.
Extortion scams have also become an issue. Parkin explained that a person will start messaging another person on social media where nude photos will end up being sent.
“As soon as that unknown person gets this nude photo, they turn around and tell the person that they’re gonna put it all out over social media, embarrass their family, all that unless they get money,” Parkin said. “So they’re basically extorting money from them.”
Once someone has shown they’re willing to keep compromising photos off of social media, they are then continually asked for more and more money until the target is bled dry or contacts law enforcement.
Once that gets reported, it’s hard for law enforcement to build a case against the perpetrators.
“People on the other end can use several different IP addresses, they can live out of state or out of the country, and that threshold to try to find out who it is and to prosecute it is very difficult, if not sometimes impossible,” Parkin said.
Both OCSO and the Rochester Police Department will refer certain cases to the FBI, but that agency’s threshold for starting an investigation is much higher than local law enforcement’s.
“When someone calls to report they’ve been scammed, an officer will gather and document information,” RPD Communications Coordinator Amanda Grayson said. “When money is mailed and is in transit, we work with other law enforcement to try to recover the funds.”
Those older than 60 years old accounted for $3.1 billion in losses from scammers in 2022, according to the FBI, far more than any other age group.
“RPD has put a lot of emphasis on prevention,” Grayson wrote. “We routinely speak with community groups to raise awareness about current scam trends and offer prevention tips.”
Older generations may be targeted because they are more likely to face mental decline, lack of understanding of technology and perhaps even social isolation, according to 125 Live Executive Director Sylwia Bujak Oliver.
“They’re obviously preying on certain feelings like romance or fear,” Oliver said. “The scammers are pretending to be a government body and telling them they have to pay fines.”
In August,
a Rochester couple lost their life savings, more than $300,000, to scammers pretending to be from the U.S. Marshals Service.
A computer virus led to a scammer calling the couple from a spoofed government number and informing the couple their accounts had been breached and thousands of dollars were at risk due to child sexual abuse material.
125 Live has hosted several classes to educate the elderly about scams and what to do about them.
Oliver said shame is a barrier to reporting these crimes, something her organization specifically worked on reducing in a class earlier this year where people were encouraged to share their scam stories.
“Surprise, surprise, a lot of those were romance scams,” Oliver said. “It’s very embarrassing, particularly for ladies, to talk about.”
Seniors also might not report these crimes to the police because they’re afraid of coming off as incompetent, Oliver said, adding it’s important to be open about what can happen.
“If you’re a child and your parents are elderly, I think checking on them and having this conversation with them, I think it’s very important,” Oliver said.
“Criminals will gain their targets’ trust and may communicate with them directly online, over the phone, and/or through the mail; or indirectly through the TV and radio. Once successful, scammers often keep a scheme going because of the prospect of significant financial gain,” according to the FBI.
The FBI recommends the following to protect yourself:
* Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator.
* Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
* Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action. Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.
* Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings and door-to-door services offers.
* Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
* Make sure all computer antivirus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable antivirus software and firewalls.
* Disconnect from the internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on a pop-up.
* Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
* Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts, and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.
You can report a scam at any local law enforcement office,
submit an online tip
or
file a complaint with the FBI
. When reporting a scam, the FBI asks that you include as many of the following details as possible:
* Names of the scammer and/or company.
* Dates of contact.
* Methods of communication.
* Phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and websites used by the perpetrator.
* Methods of payment.
* Where you sent funds, including wire transfers and prepaid cards (provide financial institution names, account names and account numbers).
* Descriptions of your interactions with the scammer and the instructions you were given.
* Whenever possible, you should keep original documentation, emails, faxes and logs of communications.