Overview

• The superseding indictment unsealed in Boston charges 13 defendants with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering.
• Authorities have arrested nine defendants, including alleged ringleader Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia in the Dominican Republic, while four others remain at large pending extradition.
• Officials say call-center staff in the Dominican Republic used scripted roles as ‘openers’ who posed as grandchildren and ‘closers’ who posed as attorneys to coax cash from victims.
• Cash was collected by ‘runners,’ often unwitting rideshare drivers or couriers, before being funneled through money launderers back to the Dominican Republic.
• Uber’s Global Security team flagged the scheme to the FBI, highlighting the role of private-sector partners in a coordinated U.S.-Dominican investigation.