The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is urging people to be vigilant after seven elderly residents were scammed out of more than $475,000.
Within the last month, the sheriff’s office has received several reports of elderly people being scammed out of large amounts of money — the largest scam resulting in the loss of $350,000, according to a news release from Lt. Lee Rossman.
“The Sheriff’s Office and Olmsted County Adult Protection would like to remind those with elderly family members or friends to watch how they are managing their money. Not only those who are vulnerable adults but others living alone, lonely or depressed can fall for the smooth conversation of a con man,” Rossman wrote in a news release. “Many victims have lost their life savings or go into deep debt after losing money to these criminals.”
A Byron man was scammed 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. The scam was reported by the man’s financial institution.
A Stewartville-area woman lost $9,000 to a man she met on a “hangout” app. The man said he was trying to leave the United Kingdom but couldn’t.
A Rochester woman lost $20,000 and had another $20,000 held up by Fed Ex “after she allowed two men to access her computer and bank account,” according to the news release.
A Stewartville woman nearly…
