These days it seems like people will do just about anything to get what they want, even if it involves hurting someone else.
From violent attacks on kids to carjackings to blatant robbery, crime is on the rise.
And six Florida scumbags were just arrested for scamming senior citizens.
Six arrested in Florida for stealing nearly $250,000
A total of six people have been arrested in Florida after allegedly stealing close to $250,000 from senior citizens.
According to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the brazen criminals used a tactic called “grandparent scams.”
The suspects contacted seniors and claimed to be one of their grandchildren’s lawyers.
They then told the victims that their grandchild needed bail money after being arrested for hitting a pregnant woman with a bicycle.
Once the senior agreed to help, the suspects arranged for the victim to send them money.
Each of the suspects – Jairo Izquierdo, Genesis Castro, Wendy Angelina Ortiz, Ada Tido, Wandy Castro, and Olfa Cornielle – have been charged with several first-degree felonies.
Some of the charges include an organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and criminal use of personal identification.
“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,” Moody said.
She added that “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.”
Once the scammers told the victims the lie about their grandchildren, they would pressure them to send the bail money.
The suspects told the victims to give them the bail amount in cash and put it in a box that would be retrieved by couriers.
According to investigators, those couriers were unknowing ride-share drivers who were requested by the suspects and would take the cash to a pre-arranged location.
Fortunately, the criminals were caught
Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said that she was “immensely proud” of the police department’s Vice Intelligence Squad and thanked them for their “exceptional collaboration” with the Attorney General.
She also thanked federal agencies for “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,” she concluded.
Some of the suspects contacted the same victims several times in order to collect more cash.
In one case, a senior paid the suspects $9,000 before they were told that the pregnant woman had a miscarriage and they’d need another $18,000 since their grandchild was facing upgraded charges.
They told the same victim that the baby’s father attacked their grandson for causing the miscarriage and that the grandchild elbowed a police officer during the attack.
They then asked the victim for another $20,000 for bail as well as another $7,500 for court fees, ultimately raking in over $54,000 from just one victim.
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
