Scammers Allegedly Earned $195,000 Referring Fake Drivers to Delivery Apps
upstart writes:
Alleged Scammers Charged With Using Stolen Ids To Trick Delivery Apps - 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 the aggravated identity theft charges carry a sentence of at least 2 years.
[...] From around January of 2019 to April of 2021, the group's members allegedly told customers (falsely) that they needed to scan their driver's licenses when delivering alcohol. Prosecutors say defendants altered the photos on the licenses, paired them with other personal information, and started accounts that they could sell or rent to drivers.
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