TARRYTOWN DETECTIVES AND GREENBURGH DRUG AND ALCOHOL TASK FORCE ARREST SUSPECT IN ELDER FRAUD INVESTIGATION
Members of the Tarrytown Police Department Detective Division, working in conjunction with the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force, arrested BENNY CAI, 06/29/19834630 Robinson Lane 2F Flushing NY following an investigation into an organized fraud scheme
that targeted an elderly resident of the Village of Tarrytown.
BENNY CAI was arrested on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in the parking lot of the Walgreens, located at 162 Wildey Street Tarrytown, after investigators determined that the defendant was involved in the collection of a second fraudulent payment from the victim.
The investigation began after an elderly Tarrytown resident was contacted by text message as part of a sophisticated scam designed to impersonate Apple’s financial department. The victim received a message with the heading “Apple Payment Warning,” falsely advising that an unauthorized Apple transaction had been made and instructing the victim to contact a purported Apple Financial Department at a provided telephone number.
After contacting the number, the victim was deceived into allowing the scammers to obtain remote access to the victim’s computer. The perpetrators then manipulated information displayed on the computer to make it appear that Apple had inadvertently deposited approximately $50,000 into the victim’s account.
The scammers subsequently claimed that the money had been deposited in error and demanded that the victim return the funds in cash. Two separate cash payments were arranged as part of the scheme.
On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the victim turned over approximately $29,000 in cash to an unidentified individual on Main Street in Tarrytown.
Tarrytown Detectives, working with members of the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force, continued the investigation and coordinated surveillance surrounding the second scheduled payment. On Thursday, September 24, 2026, investigators stopped BENNY CAI in the Walgreens parking lot, at 162 Wildey Street, after the defendant had received the second payment from the victim.
During the subsequent investigation, BENNY CAI was also found to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine. Detectives determined that BENNY CAI is allegedly part of an organized group involved in targeting elderly victims through sophisticated financial fraud schemes. The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are working to identify other individuals involved in the scheme.
BENNY CAI was charged with:
Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree
Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree
The defendant was processed and arraigned in Tarrytown Village Court on September 25, 2026. CAI was released on his own recognizance (ROR’d) with a return date of Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The Tarrytown Police Department reminds residents, particularly senior citizens and their families, that legitimate technology companies and financial institutions will not demand that customers return money in cash or instruct them to provide remote access to their computers in response to an unsolicited warning.
Residents who receive unexpected messages or telephone calls claiming that their computer, bank account, or financial information has been compromised are encouraged to stop communication with the caller, avoid providing remote access or financial information, and contact their local police department or the company through an independently verified telephone number.
The Tarrytown Police Department would also like to remind residents that scammers frequently target elderly individuals and use convincing technology, fabricated account information, and impersonation tactics to create a sense of urgency and panic. Family members, caregivers, and friends are encouraged to speak with elderly loved ones about these scams and to report suspicious activity.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or similar incidents is asked to contact the Tarrytown Police Department Detective Division.