California Man Admits to Scamming $110K From Southern MN Woman

Owatonna, MN (KROC-AM News) - A California man is awaiting sentencing for running a scam that victimized a southern Minnesota woman.

Steele County Attorney Robert Jarrett says the victim in the case, a 70-year-old Owatonna resident, lost more than $110,000 through the fraud scheme. According to the criminal complaint, it began in late May when the victim responded to a message on her computer in late May that stated she needed to contact "Microsoft Support" due to her computer having been hacked.

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The court document says she then communicated with a person over multiple days before she followed through with their instructions to withdraw $50,000 in cash, which was then converted to crypto currency through an ATM in Faribault and sent to the scammer. The criminal complaint says she also purchased gift cards and provided the numbers to the scammer and eventually withdrew another $50,000 in cash from her bank.

The charges alleged that 30-year-old Zihao Xu then came to her home in Owatonna claiming to be an "undercover agent" and picked up the $50,000.

Court records show Xu has entered a guilty plea to one count of theft by swindle. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

A news release says the investigation of the scam is ongoing to determine if other individuals should face charges.