Department of Homeland Security says 5,000 victims between the ages of 72 and 93 were duped out of a collective $35 million in a 'grandparent scam' from the Dominican Republic.
Scammers from the Dominican Republic netted a collective $35 million by impersonating elderly victims' grandchildren and other relatives, claiming that they were in dire situations and needed money for bail or legal fees, the Department of Homeland Security announced. Before the 16 fraudsters were charged in a 19-count indictment, they had conned approximately 5,000 victims in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts between the ages of 72 and 93, U.S.
In several instances, a scammer pretending to be a victim's grandchild said they hit a pregnant woman in a car accident, while another scammer would call the victim and claim that the pregnant woman had miscarried and demanded more money.
These charges underscore law enforcement’s commitment to protecting our older population from fraudsters and financial exploitation,' said Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York City Police Department in a press release. 'The crimes outlined here are truly depraved in their nature: targeting our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others in an elaborate venture to bilk them of their hard-earned savings.
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