13 charged in call center scheme that scammed seniors out of $5M

(NewsNation) — A group of scammers based out of a Dominican call center swindled hundreds of American seniors out of more than $5 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts alleged on Tuesday.

Thirteen people have been charged for their alleged role in the scheme, which tricked at least 400 seniors into handing over their savings by faking family emergencies over the phone.

Nine have been arrested and four remain at large, according to Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division. Those at large are in both the United States and the Dominican Republic.

The victims received calls from someone pretending to be a grandchild who was in a car accident, under arrest or in another dire situation, said Leah Foley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

The suspects allegedly hired both “openers” and “closers” to carry out the calls. An opener would pretend to be the grandchild needing money to resolve the issue, while a closer would pretend to be a lawyer and demand cash for their work.

People in the U.S. known as “runners” would then pick up the cash — often placing unwitting ride-share drivers in the middle of the transaction. The cash was then “laundered and sent to the Dominican Republic,” Foley said.

Oftentimes, seniors who fell victim to the scam became repeat targets.

“This was not a one-off scam, this was a highly coordinated criminal operation … Many victims not only lost their savings, but their sense of safety, judgment and trust in the world around them,” Foley said.

Uber‘s Global Security group identified the scam after drivers tipped off suspicious rides — including situations in which they were tasked with taking elderly customers to banks or to deliver documents from one place to another.

Foley said there are likely many more victims who were too embarrassed to come forward about their experience, and that victims are unlikely to get their money back.