The Electronics Squad Fraud and Forgery Section reports the arrest of a Staten Island man for a Grand Larceny that began on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 9:00 AM in Massapequa.
According to Detectives, a 79-year-old female victim received an email from what she believed to be PayPal indicating that she had been charged $364 USC. The victim called the customer service phone number for an explanation and an unknown male informed her that to receive the refund she would need to download the application called RNVC Connect. While on the application she was told that they had accidentally sent her $50,000 USC and that she would need to return those funds back to them in the form of gold coins. The victim went to the bank and wired $50,000 USC to a coin store and picked up the gold coins and returned back to her residence. On Friday, May 9, 2025 at approximately 1:00 PM an unknown male white responded to her residence and picked up the coins.
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025 the victim was again contacted and informed that she needed to send additional coins. The victim withdrew the funds and purchased $171,600 worth of gold coins which was then picked up at her residence on Monday, May 19, 2025 by a male Asian.
On Friday, May 30, 2025, the victim was once again contacted and instructed to purchase an additional $41,000 in gold coins which she did, which was picked up from her home by a different male Asian. The female victim then realized she was being scammed and contacted police.
After an extensive investigation, the Defendant Siarhei Radyna, 49, of 48 Prall Avenue was placed under arrest without incident. The Defendant is charged with Grand Larceny 2nd Degree. He will be arraigned on Friday, July 11, 2025 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead.
The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or frauds.
If you feel you may have been a victim of this subject, please contact the Nassau County Fraud and Forgery Squad at (516) 573-2815 or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.