Queens Man Accused Of Bilking Senior Citizen Out Of $40K In Phone Scam: NCPD

BALDWIN, NY — A Queens man was arrested Tuesday after a 73-year-old man told police he had been scammed out of $40,000 in a phone scheme, police said.

Nassau County police said the 73-year-old received a call saying that his social security and bank account information had been compromised, with the caller on the other end of the line telling him to withdraw his funds from the bank to keep his money safe. After withdrawing over $40,000, the senior then met with the unknown caller in a Grand Avenue parking lot on June 25 and gave him the money, realizing a short time later that he had been scammed, police said.

An investigation revealed the caller was 35-year-old Fresh Meadows resident Junkai Chen, who was arrested without incident Tuesday, police said.

Chen is now facing a charge of third-degree grand larceny, with an arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, police said.