EAST ROCKAWAY, N.Y. (ABC4) — A Brooklyn man has been arrested after allegedly attempting to scam a 74-year-old East Rockaway woman out of $117,000 through a computer security hoax, according to the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD).
Police say the victim received a pop-up message on her computer claiming it had been compromised. The alert directed her to call a phone number displayed on her screen. When she did, the scammers told her to withdraw all her bank funds to “protect” her money.
Between October 1 and October 3, the woman withdrew $117,000 and handed it over to several unidentified men. On Monday, she realized she had been scammed and immediately contacted police.
An investigation quickly led detectives to Jinqin Jiang, 46, of Brooklyn. When officers attempted to arrest him, Jiang reportedly resisted, leading to a brief struggle before being taken into custody.
Jiang is charged with attempted grand larceny and resisting arrest. He was released on an appearance ticket pending a future court date. Authorities later determined that Jiang was in the United States illegally, and he was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
The NCPD is urging residents to stay alert for similar scams targeting vulnerable individuals. They encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of fraud to contact the Nassau County Fraud and Forgery Section at 516-573-2815 or call 911. Reports can be made anonymously.
