Money sent to Southampton in response to elder scam intercepted by police

Suffolk County police intercepted $8,500 in cash sent by a New Mexico man to a home in Southampton as part of a scam targeting seniors, law enforcement officials said.

Detectives from the department's Financial Crimes Unit, along with Southampton Village Police, were notified that a 75-year-old Bernalillo, New Mexico, man shipped the cash to a home in the Village of Southampton, believing he was a lottery winner and that the money would pay fees for him to collect his prize, authorities said Thursday.

Police waited at the home after the package was delivered Wednesday morning but no one responded to retrieve it, officials said.

Suffolk police declined to release further information about the case, including the location and owner of the home or how they were alerted to the scam.

The money, a police spokesman said, will be returned to the victim.

Detectives are asking anyone who believes they were a victim of an elder scam to call the Financial Crimes Unit at 631-852-6821.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.