‘Heartbreakingly evil’ scam convinced seniors that grandkids were in danger, feds say

A Southern California man will spend 46 months in prison in a scam that frightened seniors into thinking their grandchildren were in danger, federal officials reported.

Jack Owuor of Paramount earlier pleaded guilty to extortion and fraud, an Aug. 17 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern California said.

He and seven others stole $2 million from more than 70 seniors across the nation from November 2019 to October 2020, prosecutors said.

They called seniors to falsely report their grandchildren needed cash for bail, medical expenses or to prevent charges from being filed against them, the release said.

They collected the money via “in-person cash pick-ups, by mail or commercial carriers, or via wire transfers,” prosecutors said.

Owuor conducted cash pick-ups for the fraud ring, in one case collecting $33,000 from three different victims in the same day, the release said.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo called the scam “heartbreakingly evil,” according to the release.

“It is despicable that these fraudsters preyed on a grandparents’ care and concern for their loved ones to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in a statement.

Five of the eight people involved in the scam pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Two more remain on the loose.

Paramount is a city of 54,000 about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 11:20 AM with the headline "‘Heartbreakingly evil’ scam convinced seniors that grandkids were in danger, feds say."