{"id":13688,"date":"2023-12-01T09:10:43","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T03:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/mexican-cartels-posed-as-us-treasury-officials-in-brash-timeshare-scam-officials-say\/"},"modified":"2023-12-01T09:10:43","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T03:40:43","slug":"mexican-cartels-posed-as-us-treasury-officials-in-brash-timeshare-scam-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/mexican-cartels-posed-as-us-treasury-officials-in-brash-timeshare-scam-officials-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexican cartels posed as US Treasury officials in brash timeshare scam, officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Mexican drug cartel was so bold in operating frauds that target elderly Americans that the gang\u2019s operators posed as U.S. Treasury Department officials, U.S. authorities said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The scam was described by the department\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. The agency has been chasing fraudsters using call centers controlled by the Jalisco drug cartel to promote fake offers to buy Americans\u2019 timeshare properties. They have scammed at least 600 Americans out of about $40 million.<\/p>\n
But they also began contacting people claiming to be employees of OFAC itself, and offering to free up funds purportedly frozen by the U.S. agency, which combats illicit funds and money laundering.<\/p>\n
‘EL MAGO,’ DRUG KINGPIN WITH TIES TO CARTEL DRUGLORD ‘EL CHAPO,’ SHOT DEAD IN LOS ANGELES: AUTHORITIES<\/strong><\/p>\n “At times, perpetrators of timeshare fraud misuse government agency names in attempts to appear legitimate,” the agency said. “For example, perpetrators may call victims and claim to represent OFAC, demanding a payment in exchange for the release of funds that the perpetrator claims OFAC has blocked.”<\/p>\n