70-year-old woman cheated out of nearly $1M in money transfer scam

The Hicksville woman reportedly withdrew and wired a total of $919,200 between June 29 and July 27 after a woman claiming to be with the Delhi Police Department in India allegedly told her she was involved in a crime and needed to send money to resolve the situation.

The victim was contacted again this week and allegedly instructed to purchase another $300,000 worth of gold bars and coins. This time, however, she realized something was wrong and contacted police.

Police Set Up a Sting

Investigators arranged a sting operation Wednesday afternoon at the parking lot of a McDonald's on North Broadway in Hicksville.

According to police, the suspect arrived to collect what she believed was the additional money. Instead, undercover detectives had prepared a bag containing fake gold bars.

The suspect allegedly provided a predetermined code word — the serial number printed on a dollar bill — before accepting the bag. Police then arrested her.

The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Tierigeli, who was charged with second-degree attempted grand larceny.

A Warning for Older Adults

Authorities are urging families and caregivers to talk with older relatives about increasingly sophisticated scams that use fear, intimidation and impersonation to convince victims to hand over large sums of money.

In this case, the alleged scammers reportedly created a sense of urgency by claiming the woman was connected to a crime overseas and needed to pay money to clear her name.

The Nassau County Police Department is encouraging anyone who believes they may have been targeted by fraud to report it rather than continuing to communicate with the scammers.

Police said victims can contact the department's Fraud and Forgery Section at 516-573-2815 or call 911. Anonymous reports are also accepted.

The case also comes as law enforcement agencies across New York warn about scams targeting older adults with demands for cash, wire transfers and precious metals.

For the Hicksville woman, the realization that she was being deceived may have prevented an additional $300,000 from being handed over.

The investigation remains ongoing.