COLONIE — A 27-year-old California man was arrested on Wednesday, June 22, after police set up a sting to nab the alleged grandparent scammer.
According to Lt. Daniel Belles, the alert elderly resident called police and said the caller told him he was his granddaughter’s attorney and she needed bail money. At one point during the conversation, a female got on the phone pretending to be the granddaughter.
The two told the resident a courier would be over to collect the money.
The resident called police and several officers were at the Beryl Way home waiting for the scammers to arrive and collect the “bail money.”
William Comfort was taken into custody and charged with the felony of attempted grand larceny and on the strength of a warrant out of Wisconsin from May.
He was remanded to the Albany County jail.
Belles said there is evidence suggesting he is responsible for at least one other successful scam in the Capital District. Charges may be forthcoming in that incident.
The investigation is continuing and there may be other victims that have not yet been identified. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the Colonie Police Investigations Division at 518-783-2754.
