Suffolk County police arrested a 21-year-old Queens man, Jarnail Singh, for defrauding two elderly individuals out of thousands of dollars in a computer scam. Singh, a resident of South Ozone Park, was taken into custody after police intercepted $20,000 he attempted to collect from one of his victims.
The scam began when a 77-year-old Amityville man received an email allegedly from the Geek Squad, claiming a $399 charge on his account. The victim called the number provided in the email and spoke with someone who instructed him to log into his online banking account so the charge could be refunded. Once the victim followed the instructions, the suspect gained access to his bank account and transferred $40,000 between his accounts, convincing the man the funds were moved by mistake.
The scammer told the victim to withdraw cash to rectify the supposed error. On January 29, the victim handed over $20,000 in cash at his home. The next day, he was instructed to buy $5,000 worth of gift cards by phone. A further $20,000 was withdrawn from the man’s account on January 31.
On the same day, a second victim, a 74-year-old Bay Shore woman, fell victim to the same scam. The suspect arranged to meet her in a parking lot where she handed over $13,000. The following day, Singh called her again, urging her to withdraw another $20,000. However, during the second transaction, bank officials became suspicious and alerted the authorities.
Suffolk County police responded promptly, with financial crimes detectives, officers from the Third Precinct, and Canine Section units converging on the East Islip parking lot where Singh was scheduled to pick up the cash. The $20,000 was intercepted by police, and Singh was arrested on charges of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny.
Singh was arraigned on the charges at First District Court in Central Islip.