Elderly Nassau Resident Targeted In Ongoing Scam

Nassau County police are investigating after an elderly Massapequa man was the victim of a scam that resulted in him losing nearly $130,000.

According to police, on March 14, a 92-year-old man was having problems with his computer and called a phone number that was displayed on the screen. The man who answered persuaded him to purchase anti-virus software for $500. Later in the day, the man received a call from an unknown man saying that there was an issue with the anti-virus software and the man's $500 would be refunded. Later, the scammer claimed that he had mistakenly refunded $50,000 to the man's account, and asked that the funds be transferred to a bank account he provided. The victim transferred $49,300.

On March 18, the victim received another phone call from the scammers claiming that an additional $50,000 was again erroneously deposited into his account. The victim went to the bank and transferred $49,800 to an account the scammer provided.

On March 19, the victim received a third call saying that $30,000 was transferred into his account by mistake. The man once again went to the bank and transferred $30,000 to the scammers.

On March 24, the victim was called by a man explaining that he had been scammed, and that he would help resolve the issue if the victim transferred him $30,000. The victim refused and called police.

Police say that, in total, the man had transferred $129,100 to the scammers.

Police ask anyone with information about this crime to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous, and you could receive a reward if your information leads to an arrest.

Police say that residents need to be extremely vigilant against scams like these, especially those targeting the elderly. Police say that residents should call 911 immediately if they are contacted by people requesting that they send money.