A Staten Island man was arrested after a 77-year-old Elmont resident was scammed out of $47,000 in an elaborate elder fraud scheme. On Monday, June 24, 2024, at 8:00 a.m., the victim was using his computer at his Elmont residence when he received a prompt to call a phone number. Upon calling, he spoke to an unknown male who claimed to be from the Federal Reserve. The scammer instructed the victim to withdraw all his money from his bank account due to a supposed investigation. The elderly man complied, withdrawing $47,000 in cash, which was picked up by two unknown males.
The victim soon received numerous follow-up calls, leading him to suspect a scam. He then contacted 911. The first scammer was described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’5” with an average build, and the second as a Black male, approximately 5’10” with a thin build.
On Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., the victim received additional calls requesting another $10,000. The scammer indicated a representative would come to his home for the money. This led to the arrest of Lin Qiu, 46, of 4787 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island.
Lin Qiu is charged with Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, June 28, 2024, at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead. The investigation is ongoing.
The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be vigilant and to remind vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors about potential scams or fraud. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
