Williston Park, New York

Nassau County police are warning residents about a text message scam after a 76-year-old Long Island woman lost $60,000. Investigators said the scheme began with a text claiming suspicious Apple Pay activity and an erroneous $30,000 deposit, directing her to call a phone number. A person posing as a bank representative told her to withdraw $30,000 and deliver it to someone at a street corner in Williston Park. After the first handoff succeeded, scammers repeated the ruse, ultimately taking $60,000 that police say has not been recovered.

Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage to identify a man seen collecting the cash and say they have developed leads. Police noted that older adults are frequently targeted by such schemes and cautioned against sharing personal details, including family celebrations, on social media, which scammers can use to build convincing pretexts. Officials urged anyone contacted with similar demands to hang up and call police rather than comply, and encouraged victims of fraud to report incidents despite any embarrassment.