PUTNAM VALLEY — Two individuals were arrested in separate incidents for allegedly scamming elderly Putnam County residents out of thousands of dollars, according to Sheriff Kevin J. McConville.
On March 31, a deputy responded to a Putnam Valley residence where a 79-year-old reported giving over $25,000 to unknown suspects in two transactions.
The victim had received text messages from someone claiming to be from the Federal Trade Commission, demanding payment of a fine via cash placed in a shoebox for pickup.
Sheriff’s Office investigators monitored subsequent phone calls between the suspects and victim, coordinating an arrest when the suspect arrived to collect more money.
Ye Xu, 35, of Flushing, was arrested on April 1 when he arrived at the residence to retrieve the money.
In a separate incident on April 3, deputies were dispatched to check on an 83-year-old Southeast resident who had withdrawn $20,000 from a local bank.
Bank employees alerted authorities after suspecting the elderly customer was being scammed.
Investigators discovered the victim had received emails and phone calls instructing them to withdraw money, place it in a shoebox, and await pickup.
Hengjian Wang, 39, of Flushing, was arrested when he approached the residence later that day.
Both suspects were charged with Attempted Grand Larceny 3rd degree, a class D felony.
Due to bail reform laws, both were released with appearance tickets for future court dates in Putnam Valley and Southeast courts, respectively.
Sheriff McConville praised the bank employees for alerting authorities and reminded residents that government agencies never request payment via gift cards or shoeboxes.
