On the afternoon of June 25, 2026, a 73-year-old man in Baldwin, New York got a phone call telling him his bank account and Social Security number had been compromised. The caller instructed him to withdraw his money from the bank so it could be "protected." He did — $40,000 in cash — then drove to a parking lot on Grand Avenue and handed it directly to a man he'd never met.
Nassau County police arrested 35-year-old Junkai Chen of Fresh Meadows, Queens, in connection with the scam. He was arraigned on Grand Larceny in the Third Degree at First District Court in Hempstead on July 29, 2026.
Why This One Works
This scam skips the emotional theatrics of a fake grandchild in trouble and goes straight for authority and urgency: a bank account is compromised, right now, and the only way to "protect" the money is to move it — into cash, into a stranger's hands. There's no relationship to fake, no voice to clone, just a confident claim that something is already wrong and a fast-acting solution that happens to require handing over real money in person.
The tell: no bank, and no government agency, will ever ask you to withdraw your own money and hand it to a courier, a "verification agent," or anyone in a parking lot. If you're ever told to move money to protect it, hang up and call your bank directly using the number on your card.
Nassau County police urged residents to "be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or frauds" — the same advice that applies everywhere this scam shows up next, since the script travels far beyond one county.
A call like this should never reach your parent alone
HAPS routes unknown callers to you first, so a "your account is compromised" call gets evaluated by you — not acted on under pressure by your parent.
Protect a parent — $20/month