Bangladesh, Aug. 13 -- Thirteen individuals have been charged in connection with an elaborate scam operation that defrauded more than 400 older Americans out of over $5 million, federal prosecutors announced. The scheme, operating from call centers based in the Dominican Republic, targeted elderly victims with a fraudulent tactic known as the “grandparent scam,” tricking them into believing their grandchildren or close relatives were in urgent danger and needed money immediately.

The US Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts confirmed the charges in a news release issued on August 12. The scheme is particularly insidious because it preyed upon the trust, love, and emotional vulnerability of older adults, many of w...