Lancaster County couple loses $115,000 in ‘very unusual’ fraud scheme

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A couple lost over $100,000 in a peculiar fraud scheme, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

On March 29, a Lancaster County couple got a notification on their computer alerting them to a malware issue.

Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said the couple called a number provided and were told they were being defrauded of $5,000.

The couple was also told the FBI was investigating them for having child porn, which they did not have.

Over the next several days, the couple received more calls that made them think their bank accounts were compromised.

On April 1, a person convinced the couple to withdraw $115,000 to buy gold bars from a local business.

They were told to put the gold in a cardboard box so a man could take it to Washington D.C. and place it into a safe bank account.

Later on, a man in a newer silver Ford Explorer arrived at the couple’s home and took the gold.

Houchin said it was “very unusual” that a person showed up at the home to take the gold bars.

An investigation is ongoing, but Houchin said the gold bars are likely “out of the country by now.”

“It’s going to be extremely difficult for us to locate the gold bars,” Houchin said.