Detectives from the Sixth Squad arrested two individuals from Queens on charges of attempted grand larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. The incident, which unfolded July 18 at 10:30 a.m., left a 73-year-old Manhasset woman scammed of $39,000.
According to officials, the woman received an email on July 13 from PayPal that urged her to contact a specified phone number regarding a fraudulent deposit. Trusting the email, the elderly woman called the number and was met with the news that she allegedly owed $39,000. She was told by the alleged scammer to withdraw the exact sum in cash, saying that a representative from the U.S. Department of Justice would come to collect the money.
She then met with an unknown man who claimed to represent the Department of Justice. The woman handed over the envelope containing the cash, believing she was resolving a fraudulent matter.
Only a few days later, the 73-year-old contacted the local authorities and Sixth Squad Detectives began investigating.
During the investigation, the victim was contacted and asked to make an additional $10,000 withdrawal. The detectives apprehended the suspects, who were identified as Yisheng Zhang, 29, and Bai Lun Wu, 29, both from Queens.
During the arrest, the authorities discovered a substance believed to be Ketamine, inside one of the suspect’s white 2016 BMW X5.
Zhang and Wu, are charged with attempted grand larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. They were arraigned July 19 at the First District Court in Hempstead.
