‘Bored’ Long Island Grandma Teams Up With Police to Bust Scammer Targeting Elderly

This is a moment for anyone who has ever been victimized or even bothered by scammers, in a moment that was made possible by a self described “bored” grandma on Long Island.

The Seaford woman turned the tables on a man police said tried to rip her off.

“Apparently they thought they had the big fish, they actually thought I was gonna give them money,” said 73-year-old Jean, who received a series of calls on Thursday.

The callers said she needed to pay $8,000 to bail out her grandson from jail after a drunken car crash. The grandmother of seven knew instantly it was a scam, but she had an idea.

“I played stupid grandma. ‘Oh my poor grandson,’ I told the guy. ‘Please don’t tell his mother,’” she said.

Jean agreed to deliver the money, but then called Nassau Police.

A man could be seen arriving at her house to collect the cash, and Jean handed him an envelope — with paper towels inside

And after the man took the bait, waiting Nassau County police officers surprised and arrested him. He was identified as Joshua Estrella Gomez, of Mineola. Police are now trying to determine if Gomez worked with others and has done this before.

Jean also got the last word with the scammers.

“He hung up,” she said. “I guess he realized what happened.”

Nassau’s police commissioner said Jean did a great job, and that “she’s not afraid of these guys. She knew what she had to do.”

Jean’s son, meanwhile, wishes she would have hung up on the scammers.

“I couldn’t believe what was going on. I told her to stop, stop,” he said, but did admit, “it’s cool that she did it. I like it.”

But Jean has never run from drama on the phone — she was a Nassau County 911 dispatcher for over 20 years. And she relished in her victory over the scammers.

“Bored grandma, one. Bad guy nothing,” she said.