A Massachusetts woman has found herself in hot water after allegedly bilking two elderly residents of New Hampshire out of substantial sums of money, exploiting their trust through a combination of tech support scams and deceitful impersonations. Rachel Chen, a 25-year-old from North Andover, is accused of swindling a 75-year-old from Nashua and another victim in their 60s from Allenstown, as reported by WMUR and Boston 25 News.
In a tricky scheme that played on fears of cybersecurity breaches, the senior from Nashua was first contacted by someone pretending to be from Microsoft. They claimed that her financial account had been compromised. The scam unfolded as the victim was directed to a fake bank representative, who instructed her to pack $20,000 in cash into a box for an “FBI courier” to collect. Authorities say Chen matched the description of the person who scooped up the ill-gotten gains. According to Boston 25 News, the victim complied, handing over a sealed box of cash to Chen, who reportedly posed as the FBI affiliate.
Chen's alleged scheme didn't end there. Officials have connected her to a similar con in Allenstown, where a victim received messages claiming their computer was riddled with viruses and their financial accounts were at risk. As instructed by the fraudsters, who again posed as bank staff, this victim transferred over $200,000 and was about to deliver another $22,000 when police, tipped off by the impending transaction, nabbed Chen during a sting operation on March 14. The AG's Office has charged Chen with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception and accomplice to commit theft by deception, set to be addressed in a court appearance scheduled for June 20, as per WMUR.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office is casting a wider net to understand the full extent of Chen's activities, investigating the incidents in Nashua and Allenstown. Chen faces a stiff penalty of 7 ½ to 15 years in state prison and a $4,000 fine on each charge. Local authorities and the Department of Health and Human Services' Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services urge anyone suspected of elder abuse or financial exploitation to come forward, providing a hotline at 1-800-949-0470 for reporting such offenses. The public has also been advised to seek assistance from reputable computer service businesses if they suspect their devices are compromised.
