81-Year-Old Nassau Woman Scammed Out of $45,000

OCEANSIDE, NY – Police are searching for a man who scammed a Nassau County woman out of $45,000.

According to Nassau Police, an unknown man contacted an 81-year-old Oceanside woman and told her that her son had been arrested for being involved in a car crash that caused injuries. The scammer told the woman that her son needed $7,500 for bail money.

The woman gave the man $7,500 at her home. After payment was made, the man contacted the woman again and said an additional $7,500 was needed because bail was raised. The man claimed a pregnant woman was injured in the accident and lost her child. The woman again arranged to meet the man at her residence for payment.

The woman was contacted a third time by the same man. The caller explained an additional $30,000 would cover medical costs and if paid in cash would expunge her son’s criminal record. The same man met the woman and collected the payment.

The scammer's vehicle is described as a dark colored four-door Honda.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

The New York State Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection has warnedresidents to be wary of phone calls and emails in which they are asked for money from family members who are in trouble.

How to protect yourself:

• Never give out social security numbers, bank account numbers, or any other personal and confidential information over the phone.
• To protect your email account from being used by scammers, install a firewall and anti-virus/anti-spyware software. Plus, keep all of your software updated.
• Do not open email attachments from strangers or any emails that seem suspicious. Attachments can sometimes contain programs that allow scammers to gain access to your computer.
• If you do receive calls or emails of this nature, try not to act out of urgency. Stay calm and be suspicious when you receive a call from a grandchild abroad or in a foreign country, who says he or she is in trouble.
• If you do receive a call or email from someone who claims to know you and is asking for help, verify that the call is legitimate BEFORE you send money. To confirm that person's identity, ask the caller several questions, which only that person would be able to answer.
• If you determine that you have been scammed, contact the money transfer service immediately to report the fraud. These scammers usually ask for money to be wired through such services as Western Union (1-800-448-1492) and MoneyGram (1-800-666-3947).

NCPD photos