Peruvian National Extradited for Overseeing Call Center That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. Consumers

A resident of Lima, Peru, accused of operating a large fraud and extortion scheme, was extradited to the United States and made her initial appearance in Miami federal court, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.

Carla Magaly Alcedo Mendoza (Alcedo), 43, of Lima, Peru, will face federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and extortion. Alcedo was arrested on March 27, 2023, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request.

According to the indictment, the defendant managed and operated Peruvian call centers from January 2013 through December 2018. The defendant and her co-conspirators in Peru allegedly used Internet-based telephone calls to contact Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. These call centers falsely told victims they worked on behalf of universities, Hispanic help centers, and government entities and that the victims had been selected to receive financial assistance for English language programs. Many consumers expressed interest in receiving the products. In later calls, Alcedo and her co-conspirators falsely claimed the victims were required to pay storage and other fees related to the materials. When victims refused to pay, Alcedo and her co-conspirators pressured and extorted these victims, including by claiming they would be taken to court or even arrested if they failed to make payments.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”

"The reach of American justice is boundless in pursuing fraudsters who target the elderly and other vulnerable groups,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. "Transnational criminals who use scams, fear, and intimidation to steal from victims will be held accountable.”

“Today marks the fourteenth arrest and tenth extradition in this investigation, which was made possible by the outstanding collaboration between federal and international partners. We have proven that when we work together, no criminal is beyond our reach,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division.

Alcedo is charged in an 18-count federal indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Alcedo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Speare Hodges are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Police, and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition.

The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.