BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The NYPD is searching for a suspect linked to a pair of grand larceny incidents in Brooklyn where victims were scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars by someone posing as an Amazon fraud investigator.
According to police, two separate victims were each instructed by phone to withdraw large sums of cash and hand them off to a person waiting in a vehicle, following claims of fraudulent activity on their Amazon accounts. The incidents occurred in the 63rd and 70th Precincts over the span of one week.
Key Points:
- Victims were called by someone claiming to be from Amazon’s fraud department.
- A total of $74,500 was handed over in person to an individual in a vehicle.
- Police released media showing the suspect and vehicle, now under active investigation.
The first incident happened on Wednesday, February 12 at approximately 9:20 a.m., when a 45-year-old woman received a call from someone claiming to be from the “Amazon Fraud Department.” She was directed to withdraw $24,500 from her bank accounts and deliver the money to a person waiting in front of 5716 Avenue U. The individual then fled with the cash. No injuries were reported.
Six days later, on Tuesday, February 18 at around 11:30 a.m., a 51-year-old man was similarly targeted. He withdrew $50,000 following a comparable phone call and handed the money over to a person in a vehicle near East 26th Street and Avenue N. The suspect fled the location in the car.
Authorities believe the same suspect may be involved in both incidents. Surveillance media showing the individual and vehicle involved was released and is available through the NYPD’s public information division.
Police are requesting anyone with information to contact them as investigations continue across the two precincts.
The con artist made off with $74,500 in cash after posing as a fraud investigator in two Brooklyn scams.