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It happened in Roosevelt on Tuesday, July 9, according to Nassau County Police.
At around 3 p.m. that day, a 76-year-old woman was walking on Nassau Avenue near the intersection of Debevoise Avenue with her groceries.
A man approached her and asked if she needed help carrying her groceries home. She happily obliged, police said.
When they arrived at her home, the man explained that he had a winning lottery ticket in his possession but that he could not claim the winnings himself.
The woman offered to cash the ticket on his behalf, but the man instructed her that he first needed something as collateral. After she gave him various pieces of her jewelry, the scammer said it was not enough and she needed to withdraw an additional $2,000.
An unknown woman driving a white four-door sedan took the man and the victim to her local bank, where she withdrew the money and brought it back to her home. \
She eventually realized she was being scammed and contacted the police.
The scammer is described as a 5-foot-9 man who is approximately 40 years old with a medium build. He was wearing a blue shirt, a black baseball hat, and glasses.
Additional information, including a description of the woman who drove the two to the bank, was not available, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911.
All calls will remain anonymous.
Additionally, the department encouraged the community to be on high alert when it comes to possible scams and to check in on vulnerable friends, neighbors, and family members.
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