Lakeville residents targeted in elder abuse scheme, officials say

LAKEVILLE — Two men were arrested for their alleged roles as couriers in a multi-state “grandparent scam’’ whose victims included Lakeville residents, United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha has announced.

Roberto Munoz, 29, of Hialeah, Fla. and Jason Rhodes, 34, of Flushing, N.Y. are charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. They appeared before a federal magistrate judge on Friday, Nov. 1 and were released on unsecured bond and GPS electronic monitoring.

Grandparent scams often involve an elderly victim receiving a telephone call and being told that a family member, often a grandchild, needs bail because they have been arrested for committing a crime or causing a motor vehicle accident, according to the United States Attorney’s office. 

Scammers identify themselves as a family member, an attorney, or a member of law enforcement, according to the United States Attorney’s office. They then direct victims to obtain cash and give it to a courier who will either arrive to pick up the money, or meet them at a specified drop-off location.

Law enforcement officials allege that in early March, Munoz and Rhodes, operating as couriers, traveled to various locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and collected approximately $230,000 in payments from unsuspecting victims in more than a dozen communities.

Lakeville Police assisted in the investigation by Homeland Security Investigations along with police agencies in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Iowa.

Anyone 60 and older who suspects financial fraud can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.