Rochester couple only out $14K in PayPal scam, thanks to child’s intervention

(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester couple lost $14,000 in a scam Friday, and would have lost more if not for their daughter’s intervention.

According to Rochester police, a 78-year-old woman and 83-year-old man received a voicemail from a scammer pretending to be from the money transferring platform PayPal, who said their bank account was compromised May 5.

The couple, who do not have PayPal accounts, called the scammer back and were told PayPal had set up a new account and they should transfer the money in their bank to it.

The couple withdrew $15,000 from their account and then deposited $7,000 each into the scammer’s account at a nearby Holiday gas station.

Capt. Casey Moilanen with the RPD said as Holiday stations have Bitcoin machines, they likely made the transfer in Bitcoin–a red flag.

“Most of these victims are in their 70s and older,” Moilanen said. “They’re not very technologically savvy, and they’re probably more trusting than other people.”

The scammer planned to call the couple back Monday, as they had tried and failed to remove money from their IRA account earlier, Moilanen said, but the couple’s daughter learned about the scam and stopped them from transferring more money.