Tedisco’s name used in scam

People seem to trust the name Jim Tedisco.

So when they get a call from someone identifying himself as the New York state Assembly minority leader, they’re sometimes all too willing to help. For the second time in six years, a scam artist has used this gambit by using Tedisco’s name to trick store owners into cashing bogus checks.

City police investigators are trying to track down a man who fleeced an area restaurateur out of about $385 on Thursday by pretending to be a Tedisco associate.

Police described the incident as follows:

A business owner received a call from someone identifying himself as Tedisco, requesting help for a friend who had gotten into an accident on the Northway.

The caller said he was tied up in legislative session and his friend didn’t have cash to pay for a tow. The caller asked the business owner to cash a personal check for his friend.

The owner agreed, and a man dropped off a check belonging to someone named “Acker” and left with $185 in cash.

Moments later, the business got another call.

“He said ‘Look, we made a mistake,’ ” the real Tedisco said Thursday. “ ‘It’s not $185, it’s $385.’ ”

The business owner later gave the same man an additional $200. But this time, his suspicions were aroused and he contacted the bank.

The checks were no good.

Neither Tedisco nor his staff knew anything of the calls.

“Twice in the same day,” Tedisco said.

And twice since January 2002, when a pair of smooth-talking con men attempted to pull an almost identical scam. Dennis “Franklin” Swint of Schenectady and Juan Gotay of Yonkers were arrested after they tried to have third-party checks cashed at several businesses in Schenectady and Saratoga counties.

One of the men would contact the business claiming to be Tedisco and asking for the owner to cash a third-party check. The caller claimed Tedisco’s daughter was stuck at Saratoga Hospital visiting the assemblyman’s grandson.

The men were caught after contacting Panza’s Restaurant in Stillwater, where the owner personally knew the assemblyman. More specifically, he knew that Tedisco didn’t have a daughter.

“It was just ridiculous,” owner Tony Panza said at the time after helping police set up a sting that captured Swint and Gotay. “Anyone who knows Assemblyman Tedisco wouldn’t really buy that.”

Swint later pleaded guilty to attempted forgery and was sentenced to serve 18 months to three years in state prison. Gotay was initially charged along with Swint, but the resolution of his case was not available.

Detective Chris Wrubel said investigators are unsure if the Schenectady business — which neither police or Tedisco would identify — was the only one struck by the latest con. He urged area business owners and residents to think twice.

“If you’re contacted by a solicitor, take the time and do a little background checking,” he said.

Ironically, Tedisco had just finished a set of televised public service announcements urging people to be aware of identity thieves. He said he was asked to do the announcements, which aired last month, specifically because of the incident six years ago.

“This guy only rivals the Grinch who stole Christmas,” Tedisco said. “I sure hope we catch him.”

Wrubel said scams like the one involving Tedisco are becoming increasingly brazen. He said a bogus solicitor nabbed earlier this month tried to convince an employee at one business that he was the owner, calling to authorize the worker to give out money.

“There is no limits to the ingenuity of con men,” Wrubel said.