Prosecutors charged 25 people, most of them from Brooklyn, in a multimillion-dollar wire fraud and money laundering scheme.

“As alleged, the defendants participated in a nationwide scheme to defraud, duping victims who responded to fake internet advertisements designed to resemble advertisements posted by legitimate merchants,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. “Then the defendants allegedly created dozens of shell companies to receive victim payments and withdrew the funds and sent them out of the country.  Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, these defendants will now face prosecution. 

Seventeen of the 25 suspects are from Brooklyn.