U.S. court shuts telemarketing scam that targeted elderly: FTC

A scam in which telemarketers targeted elderly victims’ bank accounts – stealing more than $20 million by impersonating government and bank officials through fake companies – was shut down by a U.S. court, the Federal Trade Commission said on Monday. The FTC accused Ari Tietolman, Marc Ferry and others of setting up a boiler room in Canada to cold-call senior citizens and others, saying they were from the government or from the victim’s bank and were selling fraud protection and pharmaceutical benefit services or other services. Once the seniors were convinced to give their bank account information, the group would withdraw money without authorization, the FTC said. “They targeted and called senior citizens and lied to them to get their bank account information.