Prosecutors say the criminal group scammed hundreds of older residents across the Northeastern U.S. by impersonating loved ones.

Department of Homeland Security says 5,000 victims between the ages of 72 and 93 were duped out of a collective $35 million in a "grandparent scam" from the Dominican Republic.

The victims would then receive a call from "closers" who were members of the scheme that acted as defense attorneys, police officers, or court personnel and told the elderly individuals they needed to provide them thousands of dollars in cash,