Suffolk County police say two men spent weeks stringing along a 92-year-old Central Islip man with promises of an $18 million Publishers Clearing House jackpot, then walked away with more than $250,000 in "taxes and fees" that never existed. After a series of phone calls in December 2025, during which detectives say the victim was told again and again to write personal checks and secure cashier's checks, officers moved in on Friday. The suspects were held overnight and are scheduled to appear in Central Islip court the next day.
According to Patch, detectives from the Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit worked the case with the county district attorney’s office and the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force. Investigators put the man’s losses at more than $250,000 after he followed detailed instructions from callers to pay supposed fees and complete paperwork. Police are asking anyone who thinks they may have been contacted by the same scammers to come forward.
Suffolk County authorities identified and arrested Oral Durloo, 31, of Brooklyn, and Brandon Nairne, 31, of Queens. Both were charged with second-degree grand larceny, according to Greater Long Island. Detectives said the men were being held at the Third Precinct in Bay Shore and were expected to be arraigned at the First District Court in Central Islip on Feb. 14. Prosecutors could add charges as the investigation continues.
How the scheme worked
Investigators say the setup followed a familiar prize-scam playbook: an unexpected phone call, a too-good-to-be-true win, and mounting pressure to pay "taxes" or "processing" fees to unlock the supposed fortune. The FTC warns that legitimate sweepstakes do not require upfront payments to collect a prize and that scammers often pose as officials or use forged documents. The FBI notes that these operations frequently target older adults and can involve multiple middlemen, which makes getting stolen money back extremely difficult (FBI).
Police response and legal next steps
The Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit said it zeroed in on the suspects after reviewing transaction records and phone patterns, with help from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, according to Daily Voice. Durloo and Nairne are charged with grand larceny and will be arraigned in Central Islip, where they face significant penalties under New York law if convicted. Authorities say the investigation is still active and are urging anyone with information, or anyone who believes they were contacted in a similar way, to reach out to Suffolk County police.
How families can protect seniors
Experts say a healthy dose of skepticism is the best protection. If you or a loved one did not enter a contest, you cannot win it, and no real prize will ever require you to pay upfront to claim it. The FTC recommends never sending money, wiring funds, or giving gift-card codes to collect a supposed jackpot and urges people to report suspected scams to local law enforcement and federal agencies. If you think a bank account has been compromised, contact the bank immediately and file a report with local police and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
