FBI Director William Sessions said in Washington that the investigation, dubbed Operation Disconnect, began in Salt Lake City two years ago. FBI agents posed as sellers of rapid-dialing equipment, a ruse that led them to meet the owners of more than 100 fraudulent telemarketing concerns across the country, Sessions said.

In all, 800 FBI agents participated in the nationwide sweep. FBI offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Albany, Baltimore, Washington, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami participated in the raids.