Peruvian Man Guilty in $15M Scam Targeting U.S. Latinos

Table of Contents

Peruvian Man Pleads Guilty in $15 Million Scam Targeting 30,000 Spanish-Speaking Americans.

A Peruvian man who thought he could scam vulnerable Americans from thousands of miles away is now facing serious prison time. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, has pleaded guilty to helping run a $15 million fraud operation that targeted Spanish-speaking consumers across the U.S.

Cornejo, from Lima, wasn’t the one making the threatening phone calls. Instead, he played the role of tech mastermind, setting up fake phone lines, spoofing caller IDs to mimic U.S. agencies, and even recording bogus messages that sounded like real court hotlines.

All of it was designed to trick people, many of them older or less fluent in English, into believing they were about to face legal trouble if they didn’t pay up.

In total, over 30,000 Americans were targeted, many harassed into handing over money they didn’t actually owe. Victims were told they’d be fined, arrested, or deported if they didn’t pay for supposed English-language products or services.

As Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate put it in the official DOJ statement:

“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting vulnerable U.S. consumers from fraud, especially schemes carried out by criminals impersonating U.S. government officials.”

“Those who target American consumers from abroad will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable for their crimes. We thank the Republic of Peru for their assistance in arresting and extraditing this defendant and others involved in these scams.”

David Cornejo Fernandez was extradited from Peru in late 2024. In court, he admitted not only to providing the tools, but to training scammers on how to sound convincing, as if pretending to be an FBI agent was just another day at the office.

He also rotated fake phone numbers whenever victims caught on, keeping the scam alive far longer than authorities expected.

According to investigators, Cornejo is the 13th person convicted in connection to the multi-million-dollar scam.

Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service summed it up bluntly:

“Setting up fake call centers to harass and intimidate innocent victims, Cornejo and his co-conspirators, crafted a campaign of fear designed to rob people of not only their savings but their peace of mind. If you target Americans, no matter where you are in the world we will find you.”

Now, Cornejo faces up to 20 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for September 25 in Miami.

This case, led by the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, involved cooperation from authorities in both the U.S. and Peru.

The DOJ credited the Peruvian National Police and Prosecutor General’s Office for helping bring Cornejo to justice.

Have You or Someone You Know Been Scammed?

If you’re over 60 or know someone who is and have experienced financial fraud, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is available.

Call 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) for free, confidential help. Reporting scams can help catch criminals and might even recover your money.

(Source: U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)