By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday that Lise Rossopoulos has been charged with scamming senior citizens out of more than $500,000 in a nationwide elder fraud scheme. The victims received phone calls from a co-conspirator who pretended to be a government official and convinced them to send money to banks in Queens and upstate New York.
Rossopoulos, 59, of Kew Gardens Hills, was arraigned yesterday on two counts of grand larceny in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree. Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Tubridy ordered the defendant to return to court May 8. If convicted, she faces five to 15 years in prison.
According to the charges and investigation, on Feb. 23, 2023, a 92-year-old resident of a healthcare facility in Hawaii received a phone call from someone purporting to be a government official from the Federal Trade Commission. The caller said the woman’s identity had been stolen, her bank accounts were not secure and that to avoid losing all her funds she must wire money to a Chase bank branch on Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills.
The caller threatened that the victim’s children would be arrested if she told anyone about the situation.
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DA Katz said, “If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, please contact our Frauds Bureau at Frauds@queensda.org or by calling (718) 286-6673.”
Between Feb. 28, 2023, and July 17, 2023, the woman sent a total of $446,000 through 18 wire transfers to the Chase account in Rossopoulos’ name.
The money was quickly withdrawn from the account after each wire transfer. Rossopoulos is the only authorized signatory on the account.
In May 2023, an 83-year-old Kentucky man received a phone call from someone who called himself “Mike from Amazon” and asked if the victim had recently purchased Apple earbuds. The man said no, and then the caller told him his identity had been stolen and he needed to immediately secure the money in his bank account.
The victim received a second phone call from someone claiming to be from the FTC who gave instructions to wire money to a TD Bank branch in Hyde Park, NY, into an account held in Rossopoulos’ name.
Between June 13, 2023, and July 11, 2023, the victim sent a total of $101,980 to the account through four wire transfers. The money was immediately removed from the account. Rossopoulos was the only signatory on the account.
