Rochester Woman Loses $25,000 To Romance Scam Artist

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester woman lost thousands of dollars after falling victim to an apparent romance scam.

That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court on Wednesday.

The court document says the victim had recently gone through a divorce. Rochester police began investigating the case last August.

Rochester Woman Swindled Out of Over $25K by Romance Scam

The complaint says the victim began listening to a singer from the Netherlands after selling her house.

She said she “liked” a song and was contacted by a woman who claimed to be the singer’s manager and offered to introduce her to the musician.

The victim began communicating with a person claiming to be the singer. She told police their relationship was “platonic” at first but then became romantic, according to the complaint.

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The apparent singer began asking the victim to send money in the form of wire transfers and gift cards. She told police she was planning on moving to the Netherlands to be with the singer, the court document says.

As she was messaging with the singer, the victim also began getting text messages from a person claiming to be her sister in Arizona. That person also began requesting money, the complaint says.

Victim Realizes She's Been Scammed

The victim told police she realized the money she transferred to the singer and the person claiming to be her sister were going to the same account, according to the court document.

A review of the transfers led investigators to an account belonging to 33-year-old Brad Christian Barrett of Leland, NC. The complaint states the victim transferred a total of $26,763.58 to Barrett between June 27 and August 19 of 2025.

Barrett is charged by summons with one count of theft by swindle. He’s scheduled to make his first court appearance this Summer.