In a recent scam, a grandfather was tricked into believing his grandson was in trouble and required immediate financial assistance. The grandfather gathered the requested cash and was informed that a courier would soon arrive to collect it. Within ten minutes, a Lyft driver showed up to pick up the package.
According to Cañizares, the driver was unaware of the scam, merely fulfilling a request to transport a package without knowledge of its contents or the circumstances. It wasn’t until later that the grandfather contacted his grandson, who assured him that he was safe and had not been in a car accident. Realizing he had been deceived, the grandfather alerted the police.
Surveillance footage captured the Lyft driver delivering the package to a man at a shopping plaza. The driver identified this individual as Garcia-Marsan. The report stated that Garcia-Marsan had been connected to multiple fraud incidents across Florida and North Carolina, all involving a similar method of using ride shares and meeting drivers at shopping plazas.
Investigators discovered that Garcia-Marsan had used accounts with fake names, emails, and burner phone numbers but had made a critical error by using his Florida driver’s license, a photo of himself, and a credit card tied to his address. This information led to his arrest on Monday, and he was booked into jail. There is currently no available information about his attorney.
Authorities warn that the “grandparent scam” is a growing fraud tactic. Scammers research their victims’ family ties and other personal details via social media and dating sites, using this information to convincingly impersonate family members or legal representatives. In a similar case last month, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of six individuals linked to a statewide “grandparent scam” ring in Miami-Dade, which stole approximately $250,000 from seniors.