The seven-week sweep involved police from Ghana to Southern California and uncovered 125,000 victims who had lost more than $100 million, he told a news conference.

"The information superhighway should be a conduit for communication, information and commerce, not an expressway for crime," Ashcroft said.

Those arrested stand charged with a variety of crimes that highlight the innumerable scams and criminal acts that now take place online.

Many are accused of selling stolen or nonexistent goods online, a leading cybercrime category. Suspects fenced stolen goods through online auction sites like eBay, set up phony escrow services to handle payments and touted fraudulent investment clubs through slick Web sites, according to a summary of cases the Department of Justice provided.

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