Charges have been dismissed against two Chicago men who were accused of scamming a Spring Grove couple out of $100,000.

Jayesh Rabari, 35, and Nikul Nagajibhai Desai, 28, were set to go to trial separately in McHenry County court, but instead prosecutors in October dismissed charges against both of them of theft and false personation of a public official or employee, McHenry County court records show.

The two men were charged last year.

According to authorities, the couple who had been scammed, both in their 70s, could not positively identify Rabari, so prosecutors dismissed his case.

Prosecutors have said the Spring Grove couple were scammed by two men who falsely claimed to be agents from the Federal Trade Commission but did not show any identification and dressed in street clothes.

Both defendants had previously been entered into a felony conviction diversion program, which provides an opportunity to avoid a traditional criminal trial by completing specific requirements such as counseling and community service or drug treatment.

However, they were unable to complete the program due to a language barrier. Both men are from India, and the prosecutors’ office was unable to find a suitable interpreter, Assistant State’s Attorney Ashur Youash said.

As part of being allowed into the diversion program, Rabari and Desai agreed to pay $50,000 each to the couple in restitution but, Youash said, Rabari said he could not pay it. However, Desai gave the couple $50,000 in cashiers checks, which have since cleared, Youash said.

Authorities said the scam occurred when the couple were “convinced their Amazon account was being compromised” and were “told the accounts would be frozen if they didn’t send the money,” Youash said.

So the couple began handing over money, eventually totaling $100,000, including a bank wire transfer of $40,000, according to authorities.

The rest of the money was picked up by Desai and Rabari at the couple’s home and scheduled through a “handler,” Youash said.

Authorities alleged that the handler gave the couple private passwords, which Rabari and Desai provided when they drove to the couples’ home two times and each time allegedly received $30,000 from the couple.

When the men allegedly arrived a third for more money, Desai gave the wrong password, the pair left empty-handed and the couple then called police, authorities said. The handler called and another meeting was set up for the next day but this time, authorities were waiting and arrested the two men after they allegedly picked up more cash from the couple, Youash said.

Youash said there have been at least two new similar cases in recent weeks. He urges people to “verify, verify” who they are communicating with. He said authorities do a good job of issuing warnings, “but people still fall for it all the time.” Trusting people are even more at risk with artificial intelligence making scams easier, he said.

In February, a California man pleaded guilty to stealing $30,000 in cash and $20,000 in bitcoin from a Crystal Lake woman. The scam began when the woman received a phone call and was told that her Social Security was compromised. To avoid losing more money, she was instructed to move money to a “safe account,” authorities said. That account was in a bank in China and linked to the man’s name.

In October, an Elgin man was charged in a so-called “sweetheart scam” allegedly bilking a Huntley man with an intellectual disability out of $8,000 in cash and wheel rims worth $1,400.

In 2023, an 83-year-old Crystal Lake woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars believing a woman who called her was her granddaughter and she was trouble in Texas and needed a lawyer.

“All the scammer needs is one of out of 50″ to take the bait, and the unassuming victim can quickly be out thousands of dollars, Assistant State’s Attorney William Bruce has said.

Attorneys for both defendants could not be reached.