Seven Israelis Extradited In Alleged Lottery Telemarketing Fraud Scheme

Seven individuals, all residents of Israel, have been extradited to the U.S. on charges relating to an alleged lottery telemarketing fraud scheme through which the federal government says they stole approximately $2 million from elderly victims in the U.S. between 2007 and September 2008. This is the largest number of Israeli citizens ever extradited to a foreign country in a single case. 

According to the indictments:
 
The defendants participated in a phony "lottery prize" scheme that targeted hundreds of victims, mostly elderly, throughout the United States. They identified victims by purchasing the names and contact information of U.S. residents who subscribed to sweepstakes lotteries from list brokers. They then contacted the victims and solicited information about their finances by falsely telling them they had won a substantial cash prize they would receive as soon as they paid the necessary fees and taxes. In reality, there was no lottery prize and the victims were ultimately robbed of an estimated $2 million.