A federal jury in Minneapolis convicted three people of mail and wire fraud for their roles in a decades-long telemarketing scam that targeted 150,000 mostly retired magazine subscribers.
Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis were expected to rest their case Monday in the trial of three people charged in a $300 million telemarketing scam involving dozens of defendants. Authorities say 150,000 victims across the country unwittingly signed up for magazine subscriptions that they did not want, and some lost tens of thousands of dollars.
Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis were expected to rest their case Monday in the trial of three people charged in a $300 million telemarketing scam involving dozens of defendants. Authorities say 150,000 victims across the country unwittingly signed up for magazine subscriptions that they did not want, and some lost tens of thousands of dollars.
Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis are expected to rest their case Monday in the trial of three people charged in the wide-ranging fraud. Authorities say victims across the country unwittingly signed up for magazine subscriptions that they did not want. Some lost tens of thousands of dollars.
How a Nationwide Scam Entrenched in Minnesota Stole Millions from Seniors
You wonât believe what Minnesota prosecutors heard when they dialed up some of the most ruthless scam artists to call Minnesota home.
Phone Scam Photoillustration
About a dozen years ago, Joseph L., age 70, entered a sweepstakes that included a three-year magazine subscription package with two years free plus a complimentary watch. Seemed like a good deal to the retired utility company worker in New Jersey. Instead, the offer turned into a decade of misery. He started getting phone calls offering a reduction on his $49.90 monthly payments, but after agreeing to the reduced payments, he spotted new charges on his credit card statement from magazine companies he didnât recognize. By April 2011, seven different companies charged him a total of more than $1,350 for that month alone.