DOJ charges 60 people involve in $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme

e located in 16 judicial districts in 14 states and two provinces in Canada. They are charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and violating the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994 (SCAMS Act).

Based on the indictments and documents filed with the court, the defendants allegedly planned and carried out a telemarketing fraud scheme over the past 20 years.

Over 150,000 elderly were victims of the telemarketing fraud scheme

The defendants allegedly defrauded more than 150,000 consumers across the United States. Most of their victims are seniors and other vulnerable individuals.

The Justice Department alleged that the defendants carried out their telemarketing fraud scheme using a network of dozens of fraudulent magazines in the U.S. and Canada. These magazine companies operated telemarketing call centers and ordered their employees to use deceptive false renewal scripts to lure victims to renew their subscriptions and make large or repeat payments.