Con Artists Steal $80K From Elderly Victim in Saratoga County

Heartless Con-Artists

State Police in Clifton Park, working with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, arrested two heartless New York City residents last week in connection with a computer scam that targeted an elderly Saratoga County resident.

According to the New York State Police, two men were arrested. One was 26-year-old Chuncheng Lin from Brooklyn, and the other was 40-year-old Hui Lin from Flushing, who posed as representatives from the Citizens Bank fraud department, calling and messaging the victim in mid-June.

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How Did They Get The Money?

According to the New York State Police, they allegedly claimed the unnamed victim faced "legal trouble unless they handed over large sums of money in cash and gift cards."

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Over one week, the victim lost more than $80,000, but the heartless fraudsters didn't stop there.

According to the report, they demanded another $30K on July 31st.

This time, however, the police were ready, and they arranged a meet-up in Halfmoon, where the suspects believed they were picking up the money. Instead, they were taken into custody without incident.

Avoiding Scams that Target the Elderly

The NYSP says that scam artists often target seniors "because they are easy to reach by phone, are frequently home during the day, usually live alone, and tend to be more willing to talk to strangers than others."

Both suspects were issued court appearance tickets for August 27 in Halfmoon Town Court.

According to the NYSP, the investigation is ongoing, and if you suspect a scam, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission.