$20G scammed from New Hyde Park woman in scheme by New Jersey man, police say

A New Jersey man was arrested on Friday after allegedly posing as a Walmart employee in a telephone scheme and stealing $20,000 from a 69-year-old woman, according to Nassau County police.

Tejas Kapur, 51, of Carteret, was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and third-degree attempted grand larceny, public records show. 

Kapur pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Saturday at First District Court in Hempstead and was released without bail, according to online court. 

He was represented by a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County. Requests for comment from the Legal Aid Society were not immediately returned. 

Nassau police said the scam began Sept. 6 when the New Hyde Park victim received a phone call from a man who told her there was fraudulent activity on her Walmart account and her social security number was compromised, police said. He then directed her to remove money from her bank account to safeguard it.

On Sept. 9, the victim withdrew $20,000 from her account and met a man she did not know at City Park Plaza on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park where she turned over her money for what she believed was safekeeping, police said.

The woman later realized she was being duped and alerted police.

On Friday, police tracked Kapur down after he called the victim requesting more money and arranged to meet her in the same strip mall.

But this time, police were there to arrest him.