Suffolk County prosecutors charged two people with posing as Publishers Clearing House representatives and coercing a 92-year-old man to withdraw $250,000 to cover fake 'taxes and fees' after telling him he had won $18 million. Authorities say the suspects accompanied the victim to the bank to collect funds, a persistent variant of sweepstakes impostor scams targeting seniors.

Suffolk County prosecutors announced charges against two individuals accused of perpetrating a Publishers Clearing House style phone scam that stole $250,000 from a 92-year-old man. According to prosecutors, the suspects phoned the elderly victim, falsely claimed he had won an $18 million prize, and pressured him to produce $250,000 to cover fabricated taxes and processing fees. Investigators allege the suspects then accompanied the victim to the bank and supervised the withdrawal and handover of funds, a tactic designed to minimize victim hesitation and maximize coercion. The case typifies persistent sweepstakes and lottery impostor schemes that focus on seniors, leveraging urgency and authority to extract large sums. Prosecutors and victim advocates emphasized both criminal accountability and prevention, urging families to educate older relatives about unsolicited prize calls, to verify independently with official organizations, and to contact local law enforcement immediately when pressured to withdraw cash or transfer assets. The charges reflect continued local commitment to prosecuting exploiters who target the elderly.