FBI Issues Update on ‘Grandparent Scam’ in Pennsylvania
April 9, 2025
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The FBI has exposed a “grandparent scam” targeting elderly residents across Pennsylvania, with authorities saying that scammers have stolen $50,000 and may have targeted dozens more victims across multiple states.
The FBI’s investigation into the scam, which sees criminals pretend to be the child or grandchild of an elderly person so that they will provide money to them, revealed an organized crime network stretching across Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Newsweek contacted the FBI for comment on this story.
The Context
The “grandparent scam” targets the elderly with emotionally manipulative tactics that bypass common fraud defenses. The technique typically involves a caller impersonating a grandchild in crisis, urgently requesting bail money or medical assistance. In the recent Pennsylvania cases, the scammers arranged for couriers to pick up the cash in person, or said that they needed to pay bail or damages, in order to create urgency.
What To Know
Between October 2024 and January 2025, at least five elderly victims in Pittsburgh were tricked into handing over large sums of cash.
One resident paid $6,000 after being told their grandchild had been arrested and needed bail, and was later asked again for $19,000.
In connection with the scam, Luis Alfonso Bisono Rodriguez, 34, of New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of receiving stolen money transported across state lines.
Prosecutors allege Rodriguez operated as part of an organized crime network stretching across Pennsylvania and Ohio, where he allegedly coordinated the collection of money from defrauded seniors and orchestrated its delivery using ride-share services.
Stock Image: An FBI Police vehicle is parked near the entrance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters building on September 15, 2024, in Washington, DC. Stock Image: An FBI Police vehicle is parked near the entrance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters building on September 15, 2024, in Washington, DC. Getty Images
The money was allegedly picked up at the victims’ homes by couriers and transported to Ohio, where Rodriguez was seen on surveillance footage meeting the drivers. Prosecutors say he later deposited the cash into bank accounts under different names.
Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. He remains in custody pending trial.
Last Friday, Pennsylvania FBI officials held a press conference on the scams, warning residents that other criminals remain active.
“Because of this horrible fraud, we are urging anyone who received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a child or grandchild or even an attorney offering to assist their relative. Please come forward and submit a complaint,” an FBI spokesperson said.
What People Are Saying
In advice issued on its website, the FBI said: “Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite. They also usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit—all of which make them attractive to scammers.”
What Happens Next
The FBI continues to warn that scammers are active across the U.S., and may attempt to impersonate family members.
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