Yesterday, a Peruvian national leading a transnational fraud ring targeting Spanish-speaking residents in the U.S. was sentenced to 98 months in prison. Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40, from Lima, was also ordered to pay about $700,000 in restitution to over 1,100 victims of his scheme, according to the Justice Department.
Court documents revealed that Cano's call center in Lima used scare tactics to fraudulently threaten victims with arrest and legal action. After being extradited from Peru in March and pleading guilty in July, Zuñiga admitted to manipulating consumers by promising free products and then coercing them into payments through false legal threats. He targeted vulnerable immigrants seeking a better life, only to ensnare them in his deceitful scheme.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida stated in the Department of Justice release, "We will not allow transnational criminals to use fear tactics and intimidation to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located." The Consumer Protection Branch, along with USPIS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, played key roles in bringing the perpetrators of this $15 million fraud scheme to justice.
The case involved 12 defendants, including eight Peruvian call center employees and four U.S. distribution center owner-operators, all convicted of defrauding over 30,000 Spanish-speaking residents in the United States. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton stated, "Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals who defraud our immigrant communities will be held accountable in U.S. courts. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that individuals who impersonate government and court officials are brough to justice," as per the Department of Justice.
The Justice Department continues to work on similar cases. Victims of such fraudulent activities, particularly the elderly, are encouraged to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline for support. The resources provided are aimed at helping victims navigate through reporting processes and connect them with appropriate agencies.
