Arrr! Them scurvy Mexican scallywags be pretendin' to be US Treasury lubbers, swindlin' folks with their timeshare tricks, says officials.
2023-11-30
Arrr, word be sailin' through the waves that the scurvy dogs from Jalisco drug cartel be dressin' as officials from the U.S. Treasury Department! They be playin' a crooked game, trickin' innocent Americans in a wicked timeshare fraud scheme. Argh, what a treacherous lot!
In a twist that could rival the antics of a mischievous pirate, a Mexican drug cartel has been operating a fraudulent scheme that targets elderly Americans. The gang, known as the Jalisco drug cartel, has gone to daring lengths to deceive its victims, even posing as officials from the U.S. Treasury Department. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a branch of the department, has been on the trail of these fraudsters, who have managed to scam around $40 million from at least 600 unsuspecting Americans.Initially, the cartel utilized call centers to peddle fake offers to buy timeshare properties from Americans. However, their audacity grew as they began impersonating employees of OFAC itself. Under the guise of the agency, they would contact individuals, claiming to hold funds that were supposedly frozen by OFAC. With the promise of freeing up these funds, the fraudsters demanded payment from their victims.
OFAC recognizes that these scammers often use the names of government agencies to appear more legitimate. To combat this, they have launched a fresh round of sanctions against three Mexican citizens and 13 companies tied to the Jalisco cartel. This criminal organization, also known as CJNG, has a reputation for extreme violence and intimidation, even going so far as to kill call center workers who attempt to leave.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen has condemned CJNG for targeting elder Americans, often leaving them destitute. The gravity of this situation was emphasized when it was revealed that eight young workers from a call center operated by the cartel had been found dead. What appeared to be a normal office job turned out to be a front for the operations of Mexico's most violent gang.