2 weeks ago
A grandparent scam targets grandparents successful nan United States who would do thing astatine immoderate costs to thief a grandchild who is successful distress, which galore deliberation they are doing aft they person calls. On Tuesday, Justice Department officials said that galore of those caller calls, unfortunately, came from nan Dominican Republic. File Photo by niekverlaan/Pixabay
April 30 (UPI) -- The Department of Justice has charged 16 for their alleged roles successful a "grandparent scam" that nan DOJ says bilked millions of dollars from aged residents successful nan United States.
Eleven of those charged are men located successful nan Dominican Republic and scope from 24 to 59 years of age, DOJ officials announced Tuesday.
A 19-count indictment accuses nan 16 defendants of message and ligament fraud conspiracy, ligament fraud, message fraud, conspiracy to perpetrate money laundering and money laundering.
A grandparent scam targets grandparents successful nan United States who would do thing astatine immoderate costs to thief a grandchild who is successful distress, Philip Sellinger, U.S. lawyer for nan District of New Jersey, said successful a virtual announcement Tuesday.
"The telephone rings, and nan caller claims to beryllium a relative, usually a grandchild, successful distress," Sellinger said. "They've been successful a car mishap aliases they sewage arrested and they request money immediately."
"It's each a scam," Sellinger said. "Once nan grandparent hands complete nan cash, it's almost ever gone for good."
He said astir of nan grandparents targeted by nan alleged scammers were told a grandchild was successful "serious ineligible trouble' and needs rate correct distant to station bail aliases prosecute a lawyer.
The amounts paid sometimes scope tens of thousands of dollars, and immoderate of nan accused visited nan homes of victims successful New Jersey to cod nan cash.
Sellinger said victims were located successful northeastern United States, including New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts successful summation to New Jersey.
The scam defrauded hundreds of aged victims of millions of dollars.
Sellinger said nan scam starts by operators successful telephone centers successful nan Dominican Republic who are referred to arsenic "openers" and impersonate nan children, grandchildren aliases different relatives of nan aged group targeted.
Technology enabled nan scammers to make it look arsenic though nan calls originated wrong nan United States, Sellinger said, and nan alleged scammers sometimes would outcry and show nan intended victims they loved and trusted them.
They besides told nan aged victims to conscionable "do immoderate [the lawyer] tells you to do astatine nan bank," he said.
After nan openers complete their part, "closers" would telephone and impersonate constabulary officers, lawyers aliases tribunal unit to get thousands successful rate nether nan pretense of helping their grandchildren.
The grandparents scam has been astir for galore years and is 1 of galore ways that elder financial abuse has been connected nan emergence successful nan United States.
Banks person been moving to expose specified scams and study suspected cases to nan Treasury Department.
The American Bankers Association successful 2019 said astir 70% of each U.S. slope deposits are made by customers who are property 50 and older.
