Telephone scammers who bilked older Americans are arrested

Members of a scammer group in Thailand that targeted U.S. seniors has allegedly been arrested. Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

Thai police announced Wednesday they have busted a gang that operated call centers to deceive elderly U.S. citizens into wiring them money, netting more than 3 billion baht ($87 million).

Police said they had arrested 21 people in the syndicate after simultaneously raiding nine locations across four Thai provinces on Tuesday, seizing 162 bank accounts, 61 mobile phones, two cars, one gun, and multiple real estate properties. Another Thai suspect was arrested Wednesday. U.S. agents took part in the raids.

The suspects, including five Indian nationals and 15 Thais have been charged with involvement in transnational crime, fraud by impersonating others, fraud of the people, inputting false information into…