(Columbia, SC) -- Five South Carolina inmates are accused of scamming hundreds of troops out of over half a million dollars.
Federal prosecutors recently announced charges against 15 inmates, including 10 in North Carolina, for what they call a sextortion ring.
The inmates apparently used fake online profiles of young women to lure troops into sending nude photos of themselves.
The prisoners would then pretend to be the father of the girl, who was said to be underage, and the inmates threatened to go to police unless the troops sent money, and more than 400 apparently did.