$20K Intercepted As Man Helped Scam Elderly Of Thousands: Suffolk PD

EAST ISLIP, NY — A Queens man stole thousands of dollars from two elderly people during a computer scam, Suffolk police said.

Jarnail Singh, 21, of Queens, was arrested Friday in East Islip, police said.

A 77-year-old Amityville man received an email, purportedly from the Geek Squad, reporting a charge of $399, police said. The man called the phone number provided in the email to dispute the charge, police said. The person who answered the call told him to log into his bank account from his computer so the funds could be returned, police said. Once the man logged on, the caller gained access to the man’s bank accounts and transferred $40K from one of the man’s accounts to the other, without the man realizing what had been done, police said.

The caller convinced the man that the additional funds were transferred in error and the man was to provide him with the cash, police said. Singh picked up $20K in cash at the man's home on Jan. 29, police said. The following day, the man provided $5K in gift cards by phone, police said. On Jan. 31, an additional $20K was withdrawn from the man's account, police said.

The man lost $45K overall, police said.

A 74-year-old Bay Shore woman also fell victim to the scam on Jan. 31, police said. She met Singh in a parking lot, where she gave him $13K, police said. She was contacted again the next day and told to withdraw an additional $20K, police said. Bank officials became concerned during the second withdrawal and contacted police, the department said.

Financial Crimes detectives, Third Precinct officers and Canine Section officers responded to the pickup location, a parking lot on East Main Street in East Islip, and Singh was arrested, police said. Police say they intercepted the $20K.

Singh was charged with third-degree grand larceny and third-degree attempted grand larceny. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam were asked to contact Financial Crimes at 631-852-6821 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-220-TIPS.