Charges: Police intervened before scammed Northfield woman gave up gold

An elderly Northfield woman was scammed out of over $100,000 and a California man was caught coming to her home to take $155,000 worth of gold, charges allege.

Biquan Lu, 39, of Palmdale, California, was charged with felony aiding and abetting theft by swindle and misdemeanor fleeing police on foot Monday in Rice County District Court.

On Feb. 9 Northfield police officers responded to a report that a woman was being scammed. Bank records showed the woman had sent over $100,000 in cash, checks and bitcoin, according to a court complaint.

The woman had been convinced to put an app on her cellphone that gave the scammer or scammers access to her phone and they were able to access her bank account and transfer additional funds, the court document states. An officer observed someone was remotely using the phone.

The day prior, the woman followed a scammer’s instructions to go to the Twin Cities and purchase $155,000 in gold.

While officers were with the woman on Feb. 9 she received instructions that a man using the name “Peter” would come for the gold and give a password of “green.”

Later that day, Lu allegedly came to the woman’s house, identified himself as “Peter” and gave the password.

As officers tried to arrest him, Lu reportedly started to run from officers but tripped and fell in the woman’s driveway.

Lu reportedly told police he responded to an online job ad and someone named “Michael” paid for his plane tickets, hotel and other travel expenses and was going to pay him $100 for picking up a package. Lu allegedly said he suspected he was picking up a package that contained something illegal.