Three men charged in online scam to offer Beanie Babies

PHILADELPHIA - Three men have been charged with orchestrating a $20,000 Internet scam in which customers did not receive the Beanie Babies they purchased online, prosecutors said.

The Philadelphia men placed ads on America Online falsely advertising the sale of "retired" or discontinued Beanie Babies, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Customers sent money orders or electronically wired payments of up to $5,000, according to the federal indictment. The men sometimes failed to send any stuffed animals or sent damaged or cheaper dolls, prosecutors said.

Samuel Miletto, 30, was indicted yesterday on 19 counts of wire fraud. Two other men, Joseph Reed, 31, and Louis Lloyd, 34, were each charged with one count of wire fraud.