Month: March 2021

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Statement from FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

The FBI has worked around the clock, throughout the country, to identify and investigate suspects in the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol and assault on law enforcement officers. Today, the FBI’s Dallas Division made its 20th arrest related to the assault on the U.S. Capitol. The Division’s territory spans the top half of Texas from west to east, and together with resources from our state and local partners, we have made related arrests from Lubbock to Longview. The subjects are alleged to have committed a range of violations that include trespassing on federal property and committing assault on law enforcement officers. They have lived and functioned in the mainstream of our communities and all spurred public outrage by their actions.
 
We are fortunate to have the continued support of our North Texas residents as you have provided tips or encouraged your loved ones to turn themselves in to law enforcement for the actions taken on January 6. However, some of the most violent offenders have yet to be identified and we ask again for your assistance in identifying additional perpetrators of these heinous acts. We will continue to uphold our mission to defend the Constitution and protect the American people and their rights.
 
On behalf of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, thank you for your help. View photos of additional suspects and help us find them at fbi.gov.

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FBI Pittsburgh Honors Alyssa Lyons from EVERFI with Director’s Community Leadership Award

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is pleased to announce Alyssa Lyons from EVERFI as the recipient of the 2020 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Utilizing EVERFI’s Prescription Drug Safety Network and Mental Wellness courses, Ms. Lyons has worked with the FBI Pittsburgh’s HOPE Initiative to tackle sensitive topics such as addiction, mental illness, and resilience.

EVERFI launched in 2008 and has built a large education network. As the organization’s Director of K12 Implementation for Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Ms. Lyons has continuously supported the HOPE Initiative’s virtual PSA contest. She also recently hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with FBI Pittsburgh, the DEA, and Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation about the dangers of substance abuse. Ms. Lyon’s promoted these programs to local schools through EVERFI’s Prescription Drug Safety Network and Mental Wellness curriculum. This allowed us to collaborate with the division’s working group and educate as many teens as possible, while providing educators virtual education packages to utilize in remote learning as well as in the classroom. Thanks to community partners who share in the belief that empowering education and connections should be affordable to all students no matter what barriers may be in place, the platform and support are completely free of cost. This helps to reach at-risk youth, who would not otherwise access this vital information.

“We are lucky to have such a great partner in Ms. Lyons and EVERFI,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “Her innovative and forward leaning approach to engaging our young people has made her an invaluable resource. This partnership allows us to reach more members of our community to help educate them on the dangers of drug abuse.”

“As a former educator, I’m passionate about providing all students with opportunities to succeed now and in the future and it is an honor to work with community members and organizations who share the same sentiment,” said Mrs. Lyons. “I am incredibly grateful for the development of the influential content from EVERFI and the sponsorship from the Western Pennsylvania Coalition, which make these educational materials and experiences available to all students.”

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to the prevention of crime and violence in the community. Every year FBI field offices around the country select a community partner to receive the award. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office has previously recognized the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Wasiullah Mohamed, a volunteer advocate for racial and social justice in the Pittsburgh region who was instrumental in rallying the local Muslim community after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue.

For more information about this prestigious award, please go to: https://www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach/dcla

For media inquiries please call (412) 432-4291 or e-mail cpolicicchio@fbi.gov

Picture courtesy of EVERFI

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Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov)

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense by being cyber aware!

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) just released its annual report for 2020, and here’s what it had to say about the scams that Oregon victims are facing:

The FBI received the most complaints in Oregon about extortion (1,440) and non-payment/non-delivery scams (1,242).

  • Extortion: obtaining money or property through intimidation or undue exercise of authority. It may include threats of physical harm, criminal prosecution, or public exposure.
  • Non-Payment/Non-Delivery: In non-payment situations, goods and services are shipped, but payment is never rendered. In non-delivery situations, payment is sent, but goods and services are never received.

In terms of dollars lost, Oregon victims were most impacted by business email compromise scams (BEC) or email account compromise scams (EAC) ($10,940,974 total), romance fraud ($8,328,322), identity theft ($6,652,823), and personal data breaches ($6,504,675).

  • Business Email Compromise/email Account Compromise: BEC is a scam targeting businesses working with foreign suppliers and/or businesses regularly performing wire transfer payments. EAC is a similar scam which targets individuals. These sophisticated scams are carried out by fraudsters compromising email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfer of funds.

By age group, seniors 60 years and older are far and away the most likely targets in Oregon with the greatest money losses (1,775 victims with reported losses of $12,817, 393), but people under the age of 20 represent the highest per-person losses ($20,842).

You can check out all of Oregon’s numbers in the FBI’s Internet Crime Report at https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020State/StateReport.aspx#?s=41 or the full report at https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf.

If you believe you are a victim of an online scam, you should report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.

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Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense Against COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against COVID-19 vaccine scams.

Oregon and Washington are seeing increasing numbers of vaccine doses compared to where we were a few months ago… but demand is still far outstripping supply. That sets up a situation where bad actors can use your anxiety to steal your identity and your money.

Here are some warning signs:

  • Ads or offers for early access to a vaccine if you pay a deposit or fee.
  • You are asked to pay out-of-pocket to get the vaccine or to put your name on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list. In any case, you should not have to pay for your vaccine.
  • You see claims of FDA approval for a vaccine that cannot be verified.
  • You receive unsolicited ads from unknown companies for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, or online. Any contact you get should be from a known medical provider, health department, or relevant government agency.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

  • Consult your state or county’s health department website for up-to-date information about authorized vaccine distribution channels and only obtain a vaccine through such channels. In Oregon, https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19 is a trusted resource. In Washington, https://coronavirus.wa.gov/ is a trusted resource.
  • Check the FDA’s website (www.FDA.gov) and the Centers for Disease Control’s website (www.CDC.gov) for the latest national information about the coronavirus and the vaccines.
  • Don’t share your personal or health information with anyone other than known and trusted medical professionals.

If you believe you are a victim of an online scam, you should report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.

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FBI Oklahoma City Stands Ready to Address Increased Caseload

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

OKLAHOMA CITY—Thursday’s Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ ruling ultimately resulted in the expansion of federal jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by Indians or upon Indian victims in the territorial boundaries of the Cherokee and Chickasaw Nations. “The FBI is committed to ensuring justice for all victims” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Melissa Godbold. “It’s through our partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies that we’ll continue to expand our Safe Trails Task Forces and stand ready to serve the people of Oklahoma.”