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Vancouver man gets 11 years in U.S. prison for bilking 60,000 people out of about $18 million

A telephone sits on a desk in a Toronto office on Friday May 16, 2014. The Canadian Press

A Canadian con man who bilked at least 60,000 U.S. residents through a cross-border telemarketing scheme has been sentenced to federal prison.

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A judge in Los Angeles sentenced Mark Wilson on Monday to more than 11 years behind bars.

WATCH: How to protect yourself from scams and identity theft

Prosecutors say the Vancouver man targeted mainly the elderly with a scheme that sold them a non-existent credit card protection service.

The victims were charged about $300 for phoney protection against — ironically — fraudulent credit card charges.

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Authorities say the scam raked in about $18 million from people in 37 states.

READ MORE: RCMP arrest 11 alleged fraudsters in Montreal linked to ‘grandparent scam’

Prosecutors say Wilson funded a lavish lifestyle that included luxury boats, a fleet of cars, Las Vegas gambling jaunts and an offshore bank account in the South Pacific.

In March, Wilson was convicted of mail and wire fraud.

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