East Rockaway woman scammed out of $117G; Brooklyn man charged, Nassau police say
A Brooklyn man was charged in connection with what police called as a computer fraud elder scam. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams, Jr.
A Brooklyn man was charged with scamming a 74-year-old East Rockaway woman out of more than $100,000 in what police described as a computer fraud elder scam.
Jinqin Jiang, 46, of Brooklyn, was arrested on Monday and charged with third-degree attempted grand larceny and resisting arrest, Nassau police said.
Police said they were still looking for potential co-conspirators in the scam.
The scam started when the victim, identified only by her age and hometown, received "a message on her computer" claiming it had been compromised — and giving her a number to call for help, police said.
The woman called that number, police said, and was advised she needed to withdraw funds from her bank in order to "safeguard her money."
The woman complied and, between Oct. 1 and 3 withdrew $117,000, which she then "handed over to numerous unknown male subjects," police said.
The victim later realized she was being scammed and contacted police on Monday.
Police tracked the suspect to his home in Sunset Park where, after a brief struggle, he was arrested, police said.
Jiang was released on an appearance ticket on the initial charges, but a subsequent investigation revealed he was a Chinese national who police said entered the United States illegally two years ago through Mexico. He was handed over to U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement agents, subject to removal proceedings, Nassau police said.
It was not immediately clear if he was represented by counsel. Additional details were not immediately available on Tuesday.
Police have not detailed how many other potential suspects are being sought in connection with the case, but are asking anyone who believes they may be a victim of a similar fraud to call 911 or contact police Fraud and Forgery Section detectives at 516-573-2815.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
It's Your Business! This month's roundup including how to protect yourself from digital scams Join NewsdayTV as we recount the top business stories on LI that you need to know about.
It's Your Business! This month's roundup including how to protect yourself from digital scams Join NewsdayTV as we recount the top business stories on LI that you need to know about.
