Brooklyn man nabbed for scamming 94-year-old victim out of $247,000
A Brooklyn man accused of scamming a 94-year-old Long Island resident out of nearly $247,000 has been arrested, authorities in Nassau County announced.
Jamario Smellie, 26, was arrested early Friday morning and charged with second-degree larceny.
The incident occurred in late September 2022 in Valley Stream, a town of approximately 40,000 people, some 25 miles east of Manhattan.
The victim, who has not been named, received a phone call from someone claiming to work for Publishers Clearing House, a New York-based company known for sweepstakes and prize-based games.
The person told the victim he had won “a large sum of money, but needed to pay the taxes before receiving the winnings,” according to police.
The victim then wrote several cashier checks to different people totaling $246,968. He later contacted police when he realized he’d been scammed.
“The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or fraud,” the department said.
Detectives from the Nassau County Fraud and Forgery Unit, who worked in conjunction with multiple local and federal agencies, are urging anyone with information on the scam to please contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.
