Police are seeking a man accused of taking a cellphone from a person near Stewart Avenue and Meserole Street in East Williamsburg and using the credit card linked to it to make $22,000 in purchases across New York City.
The incident was reported on Sept. 4, according to News12 Brooklyn. Authorities said the phone was linked to the victim's credit card, which was used for multiple purchases around the city.
Those purchases, per authorities, totaled $22,000 citywide. Police did not release information about the suspect's identity, age or description, and it remains unclear whether an arrest has been made.
NYPD Seeks Public's Help
The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the suspect to call its Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, the station reports. No further case details, including the specific stores or items purchased, have been made public.
Grand Larceny in the 90th Precinct
The NYPD’s 90th Precinct CompStat report covering the week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 4, 2026, lists 549 year-to-date grand-larceny complaints, down 3.9% from 571 in 2025. That broad category does not separately identify phone snatchings or thefts involving payment cards.
A separate Brooklyn credit-card theft investigation involved different allegations: CBS News New York reported that investigators said 58 people were scammed and six people were captured on surveillance making more than $30,000 in purchases with stolen cards.
What Comes Next
For now, investigators are relying on the public for leads.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the hotline listed above. No additional updates on the investigation have been released.
