BOSTON — Nineteen Brazilian nationals, including several local residents, were charged Friday with engaging in a nationwide conspiracy to set up fraudulent driver accounts with rideshare and delivery service companies using stolen identities, and to rent or sell those accounts to drivers who might not otherwise qualify to drive for those services.
The alleged scheme used the accounts to exploit the company’s referral bonus programs and used automated bots and GPS spoofing technology, which fakes the user’s location, to increase the income earned from the accounts.
The government estimates that more than 2,000 victims’ identities were stolen and used as part of the alleged scheme.
“The scheme alleged in today’s charges was extensive, violated customers’ privacy, and enabled unqualified drivers to work for rideshare and food delivery services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “Millions of us rely on these services every day for transportation and to have meals and groceries delivered to our homes. They are an important part of the economy, especially now.”
According to the complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney, beginning in January 2019 and continuing through last month, the defendants conspired to defraud at least five different rideshare and delivery companies. The scheme involved obtaining images of victims’ driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers and using them to create the fraudulent accounts, which were then rented or sold to drivers who did not meet minimum qualifications, were not eligible to work in the United States, or could not pass a background check.
The conspirators allegedly coordinated on the prices they charged drivers to use the fraudulent accounts and shared tips on how to circumvent the companies’ fraud detection systems. They also fraudulently obtained referral bonuses from the companies by creating driver accounts for the sole purpose of referring other driver accounts.
“They thought it would be an easy way to generate some quick money, but in doing so they potentially compromised public safety by putting people behind the wheel who couldn’t get jobs with these companies on their own,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI, Boston Division. “This massive fraud ring would have been more difficult to detect without the assistance of the victim companies in this case who are making a good faith effort to root out fraud and enhance their customers’ safety.”
The defendants arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud are Wemerson Dutra Aguiar, 25, of Lynn and Woburn; Priscila Barbosa, 35, of Saugus; Guilherme Da Silveira, 28, of Revere; Flavio Candido Da Silva, 35, of Revere; Bruno Proencio Abreu, 28, of Saugus; Jordano Augusto Lima Guimaraes, 34, of Salem; Alessandro Felix Da Fonseca, 25, of Revere; Edvaldo Rocha Cabral, 41, of Lowell; Clovis Kardekis Placido, 37, of Citrus Heights, Calif.; and Altacyr Dias Guimaraes Neto, 34, of Kissimmee, Fla.
Nine defendants remain at large.
The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of the allegations in the case should visit justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/us-v-wemerson-dutra-aguiar-and-us-v-priscila-barbosa-et-al.
