Grandparent Scam: $5M Raked in, Man Extradited

⏱ 2 min read

RELATED: Elderly Ripped Off: $5M Scam Lands DR National in US Jail

Boston – A 42-year-old Dominican national, Gerardo Heriberto Nuñez Nuñez, is behind bars after being extradited to face charges in a massive elder fraud scheme that bled over 400 American grandparents out of more than $5 million. Nuñez Nuñez allegedly acted as the money launderer for a Dominican Republic-based call center operation that preyed on vulnerable seniors.

The scheme, a classic “grandparent scam,” involved convincing elderly victims their grandkids were in trouble – usually a car accident, or legal mess – and desperately needed cash. Call center employees would spin a tale of woe, sometimes posing as the grandchild, other times as a lawyer or doctor, demanding immediate payment. Victims were then instructed to hand over cash to ‘runners’ operating within the US.

Federal prosecutors say Nuñez Nuñez provided the scam operators with bank accounts registered to shell companies. Runners deposited the stolen cash into these accounts, then the funds were funneled back to the Dominican Republic. The average age of the victims is a heartbreaking 84, with at least 50 living in Massachusetts.

Nuñez Nuñez was arrested in the Dominican Republic last August at the request of US authorities and arrived in Boston on March 18, 2026. He was arraigned and is being held without bail pending trial on a single count of money laundering conspiracy. An indictment was initially filed in May 2024.