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An 89-year-old Melville resident called a number he found on the Internet on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at approximately 1:30 p.m. to help him with a computer password problem.
The person on the phone convinced him that his bank accounts had been hacked and that he needed to remove his money from the bank, according to Suffolk County Police.
The victim was instructed to lie about why he withdrew his money and was told that the bank officials were involved in the theft.
The victim went to two different Bank of America branches and removed $28,000 from one and $21,000 from another.
As instructed, he informed bank officials that he was buying a car each time he withdrew the money.
Upon arriving home, a man came to his residence on foot and asked for the money.
After taking photos of the man, the victim handed him two envelopes containing the cash.
Following an investigation by the Financial Crimes Unit, detectives were able to identify the man who took the envelopes, a resident of Flushing, Queens.
After detectives spoke with him, he turned himself in at the Suffolk County PD Third Precinct, along with all of the proceeds, on Friday, Aug. 9, at approximately 7 p.m.
The money was invoiced and will be returned to the victim.
No charges have been filed, and the investigation is continuing.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam should contact Financial Crimes at 631-852-6821 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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