Elderly people in NJ among those targeted in international grandparent scam, feds say

Sixteen people were charged in connection with a "grandparent scam" operated out of multiple call centers in the Dominican Republic accused of defrauding elderly Americans from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts out of millions of dollars, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Through a sophisticated network of call centers in the Caribbean country, defendants known as "openers" allegedly would call elderly Americans and impersonate close relatives of the victims, the departments said. Victims would be asked to send money under false pretexts, such as claims that their family members had been in car accidents, arrested or other similar made-up scenarios, according to documents and statements pertaining to this case .

For example, one defendant pretended to be a victim's grandchild in distress, saying they needed cash for bail or a lawyer because they had been arrested after a car accident involving a pregnant woman who later miscarried, the department said.

Once openers tricked victims, others working at the call centers, known as “closers,” pretended to be defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide cash, the government said. Terrorized grandparents would pay quickly, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, according to the indictment.

See a full copy of the indictment at the bottom of this story.

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“As alleged, these 16 defendants preyed upon grandparents’ familial love and devotion, cheating them out of millions of dollars,” said Philip Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. "We will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target vulnerable seniors to steal their hard-earned savings,” he added.

Among those charged in this case there are 11 men who reside in the Dominican Republic and five others from New York City. The ones in the Dominican Republic would allegedly make the scam calls from different call centers there using technology to make the call appear as if it were coming from inside the United States, the government said. Those based in New York acted as courier that would pick up the money from the victims, according to the indictment.

Five out the eleven Dominican residents charged in this case are already under custody there as the Dominican government is currently processing the U.S. request for extradition, local press reported .

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Those residing in the Dominican Republic are charged with 19 counts related to mail and wire fraud, and money laundering. The New York-based defendants are charged with wire fraud conspiracy.

If convicted, defendants could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count of the mail and wire fraud charges and a maximum fine of $500,000 for each count of money laundering.

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The 11 men from the Dominican Republic named in the indictment are:

• Juan Rafael Parra Arias, aka “Yofre,” 40
• Nefy Vladimir Parra Arias, aka “Keko,” 39
• Nelson Rafael Gonzalez Acevedo, aka “Nelson Tech,” 35
• Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, aka “Max Morgan,” 59
• Miguel Angel Fortuna Solano, aka “Botija,” aka “Boti,” 41
• Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, aka “Fili,” aka “Filly The Kid,” 36
• Carlos Javier Estevez, 45
• Louis Junior Serrano Rodriguez, aka “Junior,” 27
• Miguel Angel Vasquez, aka “Miguel Disla,” 24
• Jovanni Antonio Rosario Garcia, aka “Porky,” aka “Chop,” 45
• Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34

The five defendants who live in the United States are:

• Endy Jose Torres Moran, 21, of Brooklyn
• Ivan Alexander Inoa Suero, 32, of the Bronx
• Jhonny Cepeda, 27, of New York
• Ramon Hurtado, 43, of New York
• Yuleisy Roque, 21, of the Bronx

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, you can reach out to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

Members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren, or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident, and needed help.

Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centers, known as “closers,” allegedly impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones.

According to charging documents, closers, including defendants Rodriguez Guzman, Fortuna Solano, Reynoso Ventura and Estevez typically told victims to give the cash to couriers who they sent to victims’ homes to collect their money. Other times, closers instructed victims to send the cash by mail.

Once victims were convinced to give cash, call center “dispatchers,” including Rodriguez Serrano, Vasquez, Rosario Garcia, and Dilone Rodriguez, recruited and managed a network of U.S.-based couriers to obtain cash from the elderly victims across the northeastern United States.

Those U.S.-based couriers, including the five charged by complaint, typically went to the elderly victims’ home to pick up the cash, often using false names and providing victims with fake receipts. The couriers then brought the cash to other members of the conspiracy, who sent the victims’ money to the Dominican Republic.

Grandparents indictment by Dennis Carmody on Scribd

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Elderly people in NJ among those targeted in international grandparent scam, feds say