NEW YORK, NY – Juan S. Cordero, the alleged ringleader of a sophisticated international cellphone fraud scheme, is in custody after being apprehended in the Dominican Republic and extradited to the Southern District of New York. Federal prosecutors say Cordero, along with seven co-conspirators, bilked AT&T Wireless out of millions of dollars worth of iPhones by exploiting compromised customer accounts.
The arrest, announced today by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, marks the final closure of an indictment spanning from February 2016 to June 2020. Cordero, along with DANIEL A. TORRES, ALEKSEY SERYY, RARNIERY MOLINA, a/k/a “Eddy,” ADAEL ARIEL FIGARO, SALAH SAL ALTAWEEL, JOSE F. CORDERO, and JEANCARLOS URENA are all charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
“As alleged, Juan S. Cordero and his co-conspirators obtained millions of dollars’ worth of iPhones after customers were deceived into providing PIN codes needed to complete the fraudulent transactions,” stated U.S. Attorney Williams in a press release. “Now, each defendant has been arrested and charged with serious crimes, and the international scheme has been disconnected.” The scheme preyed on unsuspecting AT&T customers, leveraging both dark web purchases of account credentials and deceptive password reset tactics.
According to the indictment, the “Fraud Ring” operated by obtaining Personally Identifiable Information (PII) through two primary methods. First, they purchased usernames and passwords on the dark web, then added co-conspirators as authorized users to victim accounts. Crucially, this required obtaining the confirmatory PIN code sent by AT&T – a code they secured by posing as AT&T representatives via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology. These VOIP calls masked the true origin of the calls, displaying numbers closely associated with legitimate AT&T customer service lines, lulling victims into a false sense of security.
Alternatively, the ring employed password reset requests. Posing as AT&T representatives, they would call customers, alerting them to an incoming PIN code, and then immediately request it while still on the line. HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Patel highlighted the sophistication of the operation: “This arrest closes the final chapter of an alleged fraud network operating in New York and the Dominican Republic that used modern technology to steal and monetize personal information. The co-conspirators’ alleged activities left a trail of unsuspecting victims across the United States and caused significant business losses.”
HSI emphasized its commitment to combating cybercrime, utilizing both traditional investigative methods and advanced technical skills. While the full extent of the financial damage remains under investigation, authorities believe the Fraud Ring successfully obtained and monetized a significant number of iPhones through this elaborate scheme. All eight defendants are now facing serious federal charges, and the case promises a detailed look into the vulnerabilities of wireless account security and the growing threat of international cyber fraud.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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