Jen Shah Denies Intentionally Targeting Elderly Victims in Fraud Scheme

Jen Shah may have owned up to her involvement in that telemarketing fraud scheme ... but she's adamant that she didn't intentionally go after elderly people.

ICYMI ... the 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star spent almost 3 years behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and prosecutors said many of her victims were "elderly or vulnerable," according to court docs filed before her sentencing.

Now, Jen wants to address what she's calling a "false narrative," telling People ... "I never, ever targeted the elderly."

But the filing mentions several older people had been victimized by the fraud.

In those court docs, one victim in her 70s said she was scammed out of $40K -- which was "more than half of her life savings." A 60-year-old victim also said she was conned out of $35K ... and is "still, years later, trying to pay off the credit card debt she incurred."

The papers mention another victim in her mid-70s, who described being "misled" by Jen's salespeople, saying ... "The mental anguish is still with me today, and the guilt I harbor from being so vulnerable and easy prey to such sharks still swim in my mind."

Jen's not denying that some of her victims were older ... but she's insisting that wasn't intentional, telling the mag ... "In the indictment, the government stated that if there are 10 customers over the age of 55, then it becomes elderly enhancement, which would add more time to my sentence. So that became the soundbite. 'Jen Shah targeted the elderly. She stole from the elderly.' And that's not true."

The 'RHOSLC' star was released from prison in December ... after spending 33 months locked up.