A Bronx resident, Victor Anthony Valdez, 39, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud conspiracy for his alleged role in a grandparent scam originating from the Dominican Republic, according to the Department of Justice [US Department of Justice].
Valdez is accused of working as a courier for the transnational scheme between August 2020 and August 2021. In this role, he allegedly collected, or attempted to collect, tens of thousands of dollars from elderly victims residing in New York and New Jersey who had been defrauded by the scammers.
The Dominican Republic-based call centers, masterminded by Juan Rafael Parra Arias, Nefy Vladimir Parra Arrias, and Gonzalez Acevedo, targeted elderly residents across several states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, according to court documents.
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The scam involved individuals posing as the victims’ grandchildren or close relatives to trick them into parting with their money.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue individuals who prey on vulnerable and elderly victims through fraudulent schemes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to identify perpetrators of these schemes and prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable consumers, whether located in the United States or abroad.”
“The alleged perpetrators in these scams — including this defendant — target our vulnerable senior population,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “They count on the grandparents’ love and devotion to their families in order to convince them to put up money. As alleged in this indictment, the defendant today worked as a courier, traveling to the homes of the scam victims to pick up the money. My office will protect the rights of all victims, and we will relentlessly prosecute those who allegedly target the vulnerable to cheat them out of their savings.”
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“Mr. Valdez knowingly preyed upon the elderly for his own gain,” said Inspector General Gail S. Ennis for the Social Security Administration (SSA). “We appreciate our law enforcement partners joining us in investigating and prosecuting these complex, international scams aimed at defrauding elderly Americans, many of whom rely on SSA benefits to make ends meet.”
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
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