On October 21st, Nassau County police announced the arrest of a Chinese man from Flushing, Long Island for allegedly defrauding an elderly person of $121,000. The man is facing charges of attempted grand larceny and resisting arrest. Additionally, due to his unlawful immigration status, he has been taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending deportation proceedings.
According to the investigation by the Nassau County Police Department’s Electronic Crimes and Forgery Unit, a 64-year-old male victim received a fraudulent alert message on his iPad in early October claiming his device had been compromised. Believing the scam, the victim called back the number displayed on the screen, where an individual posing as tech support instructed him to withdraw and transfer funds from his bank account for “protecting his financial security.”
The victim, unaware of the deception, made multiple cash withdrawals totaling over $120,000 between October 9th and 16th, handing the money to several unidentified men. It wasn’t until around 5:53 pm on October 20th that the victim realized he had fallen victim to a scam and promptly contacted the authorities.
Following an investigation, law enforcement pinpointed the suspect’s location in Plainview, Long Island, and carried out the arrest operation. The arrested individual is 44-year-old Enyi Chen from Flushing. During the arrest, Chen resisted and engaged in a physical altercation with officers before being subdued and taken into custody.
Enyi Chen is charged with attempted grand larceny in the third degree and resisting arrest. Upon release, he will be notified of his court appearance. Further inquiries revealed his unlawful immigration status, leading to his transfer to ICE custody for deportation proceedings.
The Nassau County Police Department cautions the community about the surge in scams targeting the elderly, often utilizing tactics related to tech support, account security, or government affiliations to deceive victims. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and caution households with elderly members, advising against trusting messages or requests from unknown sources, especially involving cash withdrawals.
If anyone suspects being a victim of fraud, they are encouraged to contact the Nassau County Police Department’s Anti-Fraud and Forgery Division at 516-573-2815 or call 911 immediately. The identity of all individuals reporting incidents will be kept confidential.