3 indicted in 'grandparent scheme' targeting Pa. seniors by posing as fake attorneys, bail bondsmen

A federal grand jury has indicted three out-of-state residents for targeting elderly Western Pennsylvanians in a so-called “grandparent scheme” that involved posing as attorneys and bail bondsmen to bilk their victims out of at least $250,000.

Roderick Feurtado, 54, and Tarek Bouanane, 45, both of Las Vegas, and Roberto Gutierrez, 49, of of Reseda, Calif. are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Acting Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman said.

The so-called “grandparent scheme” involved calling unsuspecting seniors posing as attorneys and claiming that “one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees,” federal prosecutors said.

With help from Feurtado, Bouanane and Gutierrez then posed as couriers or bail bondsman. They visited the victims at their homes in the Pittsburgh area and collected fraudulently obtained money, according to the one-count indictment citing the three co-defendants.

The defendants traveled to Pittsburgh to carry out the scheme as recently as September, according to the indictment. A total of at least $250,000 was obtained from the Western District of Pennsylvania as well as other areas targeted as part of the scheme, prosecutors said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting the case with help from the state police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

‘Grandparent scammers have gotten bolder’

Nationwide, scams to steal money from older Americans appear to be on the rise.

Earlier this year, the FBI and Federal Trade Commission reported that “grandparent scammers have gotten bolder” and “might even come to your door to collect money, supposedly for your grandchild in distress.”

“They might speak softly or make an excuse for why they sound different. They’ll say they’re in trouble, need bail, or need money for some reason,” the FTC said in a consumer alert. “Sometimes, they might put another scammer on the line who pretends to be a lawyer needing money to represent the grandchild in court.

“But, instead of asking you to buy gift cards or wire money (both signs of a scam), the scammer tells you someone will come to your door to pick up cash. Once you hand it over, your money is gone.”

The AARP reports that in addition to false reports of legal costs, “crooks play on emotional vulnerability and heightened fear about loved ones falling ill,” particularly during the covid-19 pandemic.

From 2015 through 2020, the FTC logged more than 91,000 reports of scammers posing as relatives, friends or authorities who claim that a relative or friend is in need of money.

In July 2021, eight people were charged in using similar types of schemes to bilk $2 million from more than 70 elderly Americans between 2019 and 2020. That investigation was led by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force with help from law enforcement agencies in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.

Here are some tips from the FTC and AARP to thwart scammers:

• Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is.
• Verify the caller’s identity. Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer. Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine. Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
• Don’t send cash, gift cards, or money transfers – once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone!

• Report any fraud targeting older people to the FTC online or at 877-382-4357. You might also want to notify your state’s attorney general and consumer protection office.
• If you sent money to a suspected scammer via Western Union, call the company’s fraud hotline (800-448-1492) as soon as possible. Ditto if you used MoneyGram (800-926-9400). If the transfer has not yet been paid, Western Union or MoneyGram may be able to stop the transaction and refund your money.
• For more assistance, reach the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 and report the incident on AARP’s Scam-Tracking Map.