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In Albany County, police were called at around 10 a.m. Friday, April 21, with reports of a possible scam in progress in Loudonville, according to the Colonie Police Department.
The victim told police that they had received a phone call from a man pretending to be their grandson who said he was in jail and needed bail money to be released.
A second suspect then got on the phone and pretended to be the grandsons’ attorney, according to police. They told the victim they needed $19,000 in cash and would send a courier to the home to retrieve the money.
“Thankfully, this alert resident immediately identified this as a scam, and contacted the police department,” the agency said in a statement.
Officers were waiting at the home when one of the suspects arrived to collect the bail money, police said. The suspect was immediately arrested.
A second suspect was found in a nearby car and was also arrested.
Police identified them as Zavier Buchanan and Melissa Charles, both age 25, and both of West Palm Beach, Florida.
They are charged with:
- Third-degree attempted grand larceny (felony)
- Fifth-degree conspiracy (misdemeanor)
Buchanan and Charles were arraigned in the Town of Colonie Justice Court and Buchanan was released to the Albany County Probation Department.
Charles was released on her own recognizance.
The Colonie Police Department thanked the “vigilant” resident for recognizing the scam and contacting investigators.
“Had it not been for their alertness, these scammers would have likely continued until they found another victim, and could have stolen thousands of dollars,” the department said.
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