MELVILLE, N.Y. (PIX11) – The Suffolk County Police Department announced Friday they were able to recover $49,000 taken from an 89-year-old man on Long Island on Wednesday.
Police say the 89-year-old fell victim to a scam after he called a number he found online to help him with his computer password problems. The number he called connected him to a man who convinced the victim his personal bank accounts had been hacked. The scammer then told the Long Island man to remove all his money from the bank.
At 1:30 p.m., the victim went to a Bank of America branch and withdrew $28,000. He then proceeded to another branch to withdraw $21,000. The scammer warned him his financial institution was involved in the theft and advised him to provide a false reason for the withdrawals, the police said.
He withdrew the money and told the bank employees he was buying a vehicle. According to authorities, he drove home, and the scammer came to his residence on foot and asked for the money.
The swindler then took photos of the victim and walked off with two envelopes containing cash, authorities said.
The Suffolk County Police Department's Financial Crimes Unit conducted an investigation that helped identify the thief, a resident of Flushing, Queens. The Queens man turned himself in, and returned all the money to the victim.
No charges were filed, and an investigation remains ongoing.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
