Police intercept scammer before transferring money
COLONIE – On Monday, May 13, at approximately 3:15 pm, the Colonie Police Department responded to a town residence for a report of a possible scam in progress. The resident was attempting to dispute an online purchase made through Etsy when her phone call was forwarded to a male suspect that identified himself as “Patrick”, a representative of the Federal Trade Commission. “Patrick” advised the resident that she was the victim of identity theft and that she should remove all funds from her bank accounts, approximately $40,000, and turn them over to him for safekeeping.
Thankfully, this alert resident contacted family members who helped identify this as a potential scam and advised her to contact the Colonie Police. Several members of the police department assisted her in continuing the conversation with “Patrick” and made arrangements for him to retrieve the $40,000.
Colonie Police Officers observed Dhruv P. Patel, 33, of Franklin Park, NJ arrive at the residence to collect the money and immediately took him into custody. The resident did not suffer any financial loss in this interaction.
Patel was charged with attempted grand larceny – third degree, a felony, it is also charged as a hate crime based on victim’s age, and scheme to defraud – second degree, a misdemeanor.
Patel was arraigned in the Colonie Town Court and was released on his own recognizance.
The Colonie Police Department said it would like to thank the vigilant resident who recognized the scam and immediately involved police so it could investigate and make an arrest.
They encourage families to discuss these increasingly complex attempts to defraud the elderly and remind residents that they should not disclose any personal information or make any financial arrangements over the phone.
Additional guidance can be found on its website: colonie.org/departments/police/resources/fraudsscams
This is still an active and ongoing investigation. If you know something that might be relevant to this investigation, or if you know someone else who may have been victimized or contacted by this or a similar suspect, please contact your local police department, or the Colonie Police Investigations Division at 518-783-2754. If you wish to report a tip anonymously, you can call Capital Region Crimestoppers at 1-833-ALB-TIPS, or go to capitalregioncrimestoppers.com.
