FTC: Half-million tricked by telemarketers

'Operation Tele-Phoney' finds more than 500,000 'victims' of telemarketing fraud.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Trade Commission unfurled Tuesday results of an enormous telemarketing fraud sweep, saying it had filed more than 180 cases that represent thousands of alleged victims and millions of dollars in losses.

The agency said the sweep, named "Operation Tele-Phoney," was the largest telemarketing sweep it had ever coordinated.

"Fraud is one of the worst poisons to commerce, and telemarketing fraud is one of its worst manifestations," FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic told reporters at a news conference.

"The wrongdoers with whom we're dealing are very clever, they're geographically mobile, they're technologically proficient," he said.

The FTC also announced Tuesday a consumer education campaign dubbed, "Who's Calling?" that aims to combat telemarketing scams.