A sharp-eyed security team at Uber set in motion a nationwide criminal takedown after spotting a string of suspicious rides to banks involving elderly passengers — a tip that led the FBI to dismantle a ruthless “grandparent scam” ring accused of swindling $5 million from more than 400 victims.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Tuesday the operation was a “cruel and malicious fraud scheme” run from call centers in the Dominican Republic, where scammers posed as panicked family members in desperate need of cash.
Alleged Mastermind and the International Web of Deceit
Authorities say accused ringleader Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia orchestrated the racket, managing multiple call centers. Using voice-over-internet technology to mask overseas origins, his team allegedly mined victim lists from the dark web and often re-targeted the same seniors for repeat payouts.
“Their goal was to trick our parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends into handing over their life savings,” Foley said.
Twelve defendants are charged, including Castanos Garcia, who was arrested in the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors allege the ring relied on a U.S.-based network of “runners” who either collected cash in person or dispatched unsuspecting Uber and Lyft drivers to victims’ homes.
