Rochester Woman Reports New Twist to Old Scam
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Rochester police are advising people to be on guard against a new twist to a relatively common scam.
Police Captain Casey Moilanen says a 63-year-old woman contacted the Police Department last week and reported receiving a phone call from a man asking if she had purchased a new iPhone and paid for it with her Chase credit card. After informing the caller she had not, the man talked her into logging on to a website and entering her Social Security number.
The woman told investigators the screen on her computer then went blank and the man told her the verification that she did not make the purchase had failed to go through. The caller then instructed her to visit Best Buy and Target and by four $500 gift cards from each store.
Captain Moilanen says she was attempting to purchase the gift cards at the local Best Buy when was informed she could not because her credit card had expired. He says that is also when she realized that she was likely the target of a scam and decided to contact the police.