2 Young Dudes Stole Over $100,000 From Vulnerable Immigrant NYers: Manhattan DA

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK — Two guys in their 20s were charged Thursday in New York State Supreme Court in connection with a massive scheme where they took advantage of immigrant New Yorkers who spoke poor English and stole from their accounts through ATM machines, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said.

Antoine Anthony, 27, and Joshua Padilla, 22, stole more than $100,000 from more than 140 Citibank customers between May and October 2016, according to the Manhattan DA's office.

The two of them would hang out near Citibank ATMs in Manhattan, pretend to try to get money out of their accounts, and ask mostly non-native English speakers to help them with "technical difficulties" they pretended to have with the ATMs.

They asked their victims to deposit counterfeit checks, usually between $800 and $900, into their own personal accounts, and take that amount of money out of their accounts in cash to give to the suspects.

Under their plan, the people who deposited the counterfeit checks into their accounts would be the ones punished, and not the actual perpetrators.

"Especially during the holiday season, identity thieves and financial fraudsters will not hesitate to take advantage of a victim’s good will," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. "As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exploited their victims' kindness and connection to their community in order to steal tens of thousands of dollars through a scheme that—to its victims—initially seemed like a harmless favor for a stranger.

"Immigrant communities, in particular, remain vulnerable to scams and fraud. I encourage anyone who believes that he or she may have been the victim of a crime to call my Office’s Immigrant Affairs Unit Hotline at 212-335-3600, regardless of immigration status."

The fraudsters were charged with grand larceny, robbery, and scheme to defraud, among other charges.

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