$700K Gold, Bitcoin Scam: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Cons Elderly Lehigh County Man, DA Says
A slick con artist posing as a PayPal agent scammed a 74-year-old Pennsylvania man out of nearly $700,000 in gold and cryptocurrency, authorities revealed on Friday, Jan. 16.
Hirtik Hemchand Khatri, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Nov. 20 to felony charges of Theft by Extortion, Theft by Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, according to Holihan.
Khatri was sentenced at a hearing before Judge Thomas M. Caffrey to 12 months, minus a day, to 36 months in prison for both theft charges, along with two years of proba…
Woman Scams Victim Out Of $500K In Carmel, Said Funds Were For College, Childcare: Sheriff
A Brooklyn woman has been arrested for allegedly scamming a Putnam County resident out of hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years while claiming the funds were being used for school, medical bills, and childcare, authorities announced.
The arrest of Natasha Mansfield, 26, for second-degree grand larceny was announced by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, Sept. 4.
According to Acting Putnam County Sheriff Brian Hess, the investigation into Mansfield began in August 2024, when a Carmel resident reported being defrauded out of about $500,000.
The victi…
Too Good To Be True: Lyndhurst Man Fooled Into $75K Scam Over Months, Cops Say
A $75,000 scam that spanned three months ended with an arrest in Lyndhurst, police said.
A township resident reported on Tuesday, Aug. 12, that they had fallen victim to an unsolicited scam beginning April 20, according to Chief Richard Jarvis. Over the next several months, the victim transferred money both digitally and in person, believing they were participating in an investment opportunity, Jarvis said.
Detective Michael Giangeruso was assigned to the case and identified a pattern in how the organized criminal enterprise was operating, police said. On Friday, Aug. 22, at approximately 9…
Pair Steals $80K From Saratoga County Senior In Computer Scam, Police Say
Two downstate residents are accused of scamming a Saratoga County senior out of more than $80,000 in cash and gift cards, then returning to collect another $30,000 before being arrested.
Chuncheng Lin, 26, of Brooklyn, and Hui Lin, 40, of Flushing, were arrested Thursday, July 31, following a joint investigation by New York State Police and the US Department of Homeland Security.
The case began Monday, June 30, when an elderly Saratoga County resident reported being targeted in a computer scam, according to New York State Police.
The victim told troopers they were first two weeks earlier v…
Florida Man Hits Montgomery County With Tech Scam Targeting Elderly Woman, Police Say
A Florida man drove all the way to Maryland — just to scam an elderly woman out of $20,000, police say.
A 31-year-old Florida man is facing charges after allegedly scamming an elderly Montgomery County woman out of $20,000 in a bogus tech support refund scheme, police said.
Charles Horlesen, of Kissimmee, FL, was arrested Wednesday, July 23, in Queen Anne’s County, according to Montgomery County Police.
The investigation began on Monday, July 21, when Horlesen allegedly met with the woman, who believed she had a problem with her Norton antivirus software.
Police said she was told she had …
CT Funeral Home Owner Launches Campaign To Help Victims Of Alleged $70K Vernon Funeral Scam
A group is working to help victims of an alleged Connecticut funeral scam involving a former funeral home owner accused of embezzling more than $70,000 from funds meant for burials and other services, to allegedly fuel his gambling habit.
Philip Pietras, 51, of Coventry, was arrested Sunday, April 6, and charged with first-degree larceny, according to Connecticut State Police.
Dozens of people had given Pietras money intended for escrow accounts, which would have been available to cover funeral costs when needed, police said. They later learned the money was never deposited, and now they mu…
$20K Tech Support Hoax: Scammer Busted After Running Into Woods In Croton, Police Say
A man posing as a tech support worker was arrested after allegedly scamming a Westchester resident out of $20,000 and trying to collect even more, police said.
Flushing resident Dengjin Chen, age 44, was arrested on Saturday, May 10, following a coordinated investigation into his alleged scam involving several law enforcement agencies, the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department announced on Tuesday, May 13.
The case began on Friday, May 9, when the victim reported having printer issues and calling what he believed was Hewlett-Packard customer support. The person on the phone co…
$42K Phone Scam: Duo Impersonated Government Agents To Steal In Port Jervis, Police Say
Two men were apprehended after allegedly running a telephone scam that tricked an Orange County woman into handing over $42,000, authorities said.
New York City residents Nian Lin, 40, and Zhen Chen, 25, were taken into custody on Friday, March 14, after a sting operation led by Port Jervis Police with assistance from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Drug Task Force, and the US Department of Homeland Security, authorities announced on Wednesday, March 19.
According to police, the duo pretended to be government officials and told the victim her iden…
$620K In Fake Checks Found In Vehicle With NJ Plates During PA Traffic Stop: Police
A routine traffic stop in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, led to the discovery of a massive fraud operation involving hundreds of counterfeit checks worth more than $620,000, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, March 18.
Christopher Hayman, 29, and Tyree Holmes, 33, were pulled over by Eddystone police while driving a white Volvo with temporary New Jersey plates on Thursday, March 13, according to officials.
Inside the vehicle, officers discovered approximately 200 fraudulent checks linked to scams in four states, along with stolen credit cards and fake IDs, police said. Investigator…
$9,800 'Grandparent Scam' Stopped In Westbury: Police
An 84-year-old woman outsmarted a scammer who tried to trick her into handing over nearly $10,000 in Westbury, Nassau County police announced.
Etienne Jackson, 39, of Menands, New York, was arrested after he allegedly attempted to steal $9,800 from the elderly woman in a common "grandparent scam," detectives said.
Jackson called the victim on Saturday, March 1, claiming her grandson had been arrested and needed bail money, police said. But instead of handing over the cash, the woman contacted the Nassau County Police Department’s Third Squad for help.
When Jackson showed up at her resi…
$203K Cash, $80K Gold Bars Swindled From Franklin Square Woman In Apple Scam
A Brooklyn man is accused of trying to scam an 80-year-old woman out of gold bars in Franklin Square, Nassau County police said on Thursday, Dec. 19.
The victim received a text message claiming her Apple ID had been compromised, prompting her to call a phone number provided in the message, police said. She was connected to a man claiming to be a Chase Bank representative working with the FBI. Between Oct. 10 and Dec. 6, the man persuaded her to give him $203,000 in cash and gold bars "for safekeeping," according to investigators.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, the man allegedly contacted the victim …
Sag Harbor Woman Cleans Out Bank Account To Fraudster Posing As Federal Agent, Police Say
A months-long investigation has led to the arrest of a man who authorities say impersonated a federal agent and used fear and intimidation to convince a Long Island victim to hand over money.
On Friday, Oct. 25, the suspect, Om Parkash, age 31, of Queens, was charged with second-degree grand larceny (a Class C felony).
In late July of 2023, Parkash contacted the victim in Sag Harbor stating she was involved in a fraud scheme involving large amounts of money, according to New York State Police.
From there, Parkash advised the victim she would have to give money to “federal a…
