More Than 260 People Caught in Largest Justice Department Senior Fraud Sweep

More than 260 individuals have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) with scamming over $750 million from American seniors in the biggest federal crackdown on senior fraud in U.S. history, reports the Washington Times . "It is a particularly despicable crime because the people involved are vulnerable and because of their stage of life they don't have the opportunity to recover," announced Attorney General William P. Barr. The defendants are accused of operating various scams, including tech-support fraud, mass mailing, telemarketing, investment fraud, and identity theft. DoJ said it toppled a tech-support scheme to fool victims into giving remote access to their computers. "Victims of these schemes often lose thousands of dollars or more apiece, which can cause significant harm to senior victims and their caretakers," said Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray. A so-called money mule scam, in which thieves acquire money illegally from their victim and then forward the proceeds to other perpetrators and ringleaders, was also undone.