The elderly are often viewed as vulnerable targets, and sadly, some seek to exploit this demographic for personal gain.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office has announced the arrest of six individuals accused of stealing nearly $250,000 from Florida seniors through a grandparent scam.
This scam, which preys on grandparents’ natural instinct to protect their loved ones, has left a trail of devastation, and Attorney General Moody is determined to end it.
The grandparent scam is a particularly insidious form of fraud that targets the elderly. The perpetrators of this scheme would contact seniors, posing as lawyers or legal representatives of one of the victim’s grandchildren.
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They would then spin a tale of the grandchild being arrested after allegedly hitting a pregnant woman with a vehicle, and would demand bail money to secure their release.
The fraudsters would then apply intense pressure on the unsuspecting grandparents, urging them to provide the bail money in cash.
The victims were instructed to place the cash in a box, which would then be picked up by a courier – an unwitting ride-share driver hired by the criminals. In some cases, the scammers would contact the same victim multiple times, demanding even more money under the guise of additional legal fees or medical expenses.
“These fraudsters know that most grandparents would do anything to help a grandchild in need, and through a convincing imposter scheme they used fear and family to extort Florida seniors—stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Working with our great law enforcement partners in South Florida, we were able to shut down this far-reaching grandparent scheme and now six fraudsters will have to answer for their crimes,” said Moody.
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One Palm Bay victim, for instance, initially paid $9,000 in bail, only to be told that the pregnant woman had miscarried and that an additional $18,000 was needed.
The fraudsters then claimed that the baby’s father had attacked the senior’s grandson, causing the grandchild to elbow a police officer, resulting in a further $20,000 in bail and $7,500 in court fees. Ultimately, this victim paid the criminals more than $54,000.
These defendants preyed upon seniors across multiple counties in Florida, including Brevard, Broward, Lee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Sarasota. The coordinated effort between various law enforcement agencies, including the Miami-Dade Police Department, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was crucial in unraveling this far-reaching scheme.
“I am immensely proud of the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Vice Intelligence Squad, for their exceptional collaboration with the Florida Attorney General, and federal agencies in successfully apprehending individuals involved in extorting the elderly population. Their dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to protecting our community’s most vulnerable population are truly commendable,” said Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels.
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The six defendants, Jairo Izquierdo, Gennesis Castro, Wendy Angelina Ortiz, Ada Tido, Wandy Castro, and Olfa Cornielle, now face multiple first-degree felonies, including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and criminal use of personal identification.
These individuals’ successful apprehension resulted from collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
The Miami-Dade Police Department’s Vice Intelligence Squad, in particular, played a crucial role in this investigation, working closely with Attorney General Moody’s office and federal agencies.
Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will be responsible for prosecuting this case.
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