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Long Island Man, 79, Charged in $13M 'Cash Prize' Mail Scam That Duped Seniors Nationwide
A 79-year-old Long Island man and two accomplices scammed mostly elderly victims out of $13 million through a pair of bogus "cash prize" direct-mail scams, federal authorities charged.
Hundreds of thousands of mailings claimed the victims were "specially chosen" to receive a large cash prize, the government said.
All they had to do was pay a "fee" of from $20 to $40 to collect their prize, a federal indictment says.
Many unfortunately fell for it, authorities said.
The indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn names Shawn Phillips, 52, of British Columbia, Canada, as the ring…
Police: Lyndhurst Senior, 78, Victimized By Con Artist
ELDER FRAUD: A Lyndhurst senior was befriended by a drug user whose intentions were no good, authorities said. The thief was caught, however, thanks to a real friend, they said.
The 78-year-old victim didn’t know that Melissa Kaups, 39, of Lyndhurst has a drug-related criminal history stretching back more than 20 years, authorities said.
The victim suddenly discovered Kaups in her home one day, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
Kaups said she was “checking on her,” he said.
The woman later found two sterling silver necklaces missing from her bedroom dresser and told a friend who called p…
