The US Department of Justice informs that a massive “grandparent scam” operating out of the Dominican Republic has been dismantled, leading to charges against 13 individuals. The transnational scheme allegedly defrauded more than 400 elderly victims in the United States, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, of over US$5 million.
The scheme, orchestrated by what authorities are calling a sophisticated “call center” operation, targeted seniors with an average age of 84. The perpetrators tricked victims into believing that a grandchild or other close family member was in trouble and desperately needed money.
According to charging documents, the operation was led by Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia. His call centers in the Dominican Republic employed English-speaking co-conspirators who followed scripts to impersonate a grandchild who was in a car accident. A second person would then follow up, posing as the grandchild’s attorney and demanding money for legal fees and other expenses.
To get the money, the scammers allegedly instructed victims to package up cash and give it to unsuspecting rideshare drivers, who would then deliver the funds to “runners” working for the scheme. In some cases, victims were directed to ship the money via mail. The scammers would often call the victims again and again, asking for additional funds.
Once the cash was obtained, the runners would allegedly launder the illicit proceeds back to the Dominican Republic. An image released by authorities shows one of the co-conspirators, Tavarez Jimenez, with stacks of cash he allegedly sent to Castanos Garcia.
The charges against the 13 individuals include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Authorities are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this or another elder fraud scam to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The fraud scheme is not uncommon. In March 2025, US authorities had charged 25 Canadian suspects with bilking US seniors out of US$21 million in a similar grandparent scam.
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US Department of Justice
NBC News
CBS News
Noticias SIN
Diario Libre
13 August 2025