Arrest Made In Case Of $11,000 Bail Money Scam Targeting 88-Year-Old Woman
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Police have arrested a woman linked to one case of a scam of senior citizens this summer in which victims are told a family member is in urgent need of bail money.
Investigators say 25-year-old Maria Adames of Copiague, N.Y., has been arrested for grand larceny following an incident on May 29.
Police say a man called an 88-year-old woman and claimed to be her grandson involved in a car crash and in which a pregnant woman was injured. The caller gave her a phone number alleged to be his lawyer and urged her to call for help.
The victim was then told over the phone to pay $9,800 for bail and $1,200 to keep the arrest off his criminal record. An unknown woman arrived at the victim's residence and picked up the money.
The case follows similar incidents police warned seniors about this summer.
On May 2, police said a 78-year-old woman got a call from someone claiming to be a lawyer who said her grandson had been arrested and she would need to send $8,700 for his release.
MORE: NYPD Warns Seniors About Scam Claiming Grandson Needs Cash For Bail
On July 12, authorities said an 85-year-old woman received a call from a man claiming to be a public defender who wanted $1,600 for her grandson.
Anyone who knows someone who may have been a victim of a similar scam is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
