Scammers allegedly earned $195,000 referring fake drivers to delivery apps
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The Justice Department has charged over a dozen people with running a scam on ride hailing and delivery apps. Prosecutors say the alleged scam ring created fake accounts using stolen personal information, then sold those accounts to otherwise unqualified drivers - while also collecting referral bonuses and building software to trick the apps.
The indictment was revealed on Friday and adds to wire fraud claims first revealed in May. It accuses 14 people - all Brazilian nationals and most living in Massachusetts - with identity theft against five unnamed companies. (Prosecutors filed the wire fraud charges against 19 people in total, and 16 have been arrested.) The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while...