A California man was indicted in Miami this week on charges that he defrauded and extorted elderly, Spanish-speaking U.S. residents by partnering with Peruvian-based call centers, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The man, Angel Armando Adrianzen, 45, was indicted Tuesday. Charges include mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit such fraud, and extortion, a DOJ press release said.

A California man is charged with leading a telemarketing conspiracy to defraud and extort U.S. consumers, prosecutors say. 

A California man is charged with leading a telemarketing conspiracy to defraud and extort U.S. consumers, prosecutors say.  (nccourts.gov)

According to the indictment, Adrianzen partnered with Peruvian call centers that contacted U.S. consumers – most of whom were elderly and vulnerable to exploitation.

The callers claimed to be attorneys or government representatives, telling the victims they were behind on payments for delivery products and would be imprisoned or deported for failure to pay, the indictment alleges.

Adrianzen is accused of receiving the victims’ payments and shipping them products from the Peruvian call centers, despite knowing the illicit tactics being deployed.

Adrianzen was arrested in California on Sept. 16 and detained pending trial. He is expected to arrive in Miami to face the charges against him next week.

“The Department of Justice is committed to identifying and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target and extort U.S. consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice's Civil Division. “The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to work hand-in-hand with our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force partners to bring to justice international fraudsters who prey on vulnerable U.S. consumers.”

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