A Professional Scammer Finally Gets Caught in the Hudson Valley

There are few things as frustrating as scammers who prey on vulnerable Hudson Valley residents. Luckily, one such alleged criminal was recently picked up by police after a wild plan that targeted tens of thousands of dollars.

For years, different scams have attempted to separate innocent people from their money (who remembers the emails from a prince who desperately needed help transferring his millions out of his country?). This one however, started with a printer.

Printer Repair Leads to Alleged $20,000 Scam in the Hudson Valley

Officials from the Croton-on-Harmon police department shared that a suspect was in custody after a bizarre scam that involved printer repairs and massive sums of money. Many of the details mirrored a similar scam a nearby department had shared just days ago (below).

Recent Phone Scams in the Hudson Valley

On May 9th, the Yorktown police department shared information about a scammer posing as an official from the FCC. Claiming they had found child pornography the victim's computer, the scammers reportedly demanded $20,000:

The scammer falsely verifies to the victim that there is child pornography on the computer and that the cost for removal will be in excess of $20,000 cash. The victim is provided with specific instructions on withdrawing cash funds from their bank, specifically telling bank employees if asked about the large withdrawal that the funds are needed for a home improvement project.

"Printer Scam" in Croton-on-Hudson, NY

While the recent incident in Croton-on-Harmon began with the victim believing they were contacting customer support for a broken printer, nearly every other detail mirrored the "FCC scam".

READ MORE: Officials Warn about Increased ‘Driveway Scams’ in New York

Details from Recent Hudson Valley Phone Scams

Not only was the victim instructed to withdraw a similar amount of money from their bank, but a suspect with a similar description from the previous scam came to collect the cash. This time, however, police were ready (below).

Suspected Scammer Caught in the Hudson Valley

Officials said that when the suspect came to collect an additional $20,000, police were busy setting up a roadblock nearby. When confronted, the 44-year-old suspect reportedly fled on foot and was apprehended by police.

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While the police have made no official connection between the two scams, the similarities might at least suggest common tactics used by criminals. Check out the most popular phone scams in the country below.