Month: March 2021

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

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against fake Good Samaritans.

Thanks to COVID, many families are having trouble keeping food on the table and paying their bills. Of course, this means that scam artists will try to take advantage of what is already a desperate situation. The Oregon FBI is getting reports that people are seeing—and responding to—offers of assistance on social media platforms and elsewhere.

The Good Samaritan is offering to send a few hundred—or even a few thousand dollars—in your time of need. In one version of the scam, the fraudster sends you a cashier’s check. The supposed benefactor may ask you to forward some of the money on to a third person (which is usually back to him) or he may tell you that he accidentally sent you too much and ask you to return some of it.

In another version of the scam, he sends you funds by Zelle or some other cash app. He manages to gain access to your bank account and transfers money to himself instead of to you.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Look for established, reputable charities to help you and your family.
• Be suspicious of people or groups offering help through social media. Do research to ensure the person or group is legitimate before accepting any funds.
• If you are unsure whether a check is real, check with your bank before depositing.
• Don’t forward money to a third party. The scammer may be using you to launder funds or act as a money mule—both of which can get you in trouble legally.

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

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

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against getting taken to the dog house!

Pandemic puppies—and, for that matter, kittens—are a real thing. More people are working at home, and the kids can’t—or won’t—leave the house. Your whole family is desperate for the unconditional love that a little fur ball will bring. Wanting and finding, though, can be two different things. Some shelters are running low and breeders can have months-long waiting lists. To fraudsters, this presents a golden opportunity. According to the Better Business Bureau, it has received reports of about $3 million in losses to this scam in just the past year.

Here in Oregon, we are seeing a couple main versions of this scam. Almost all involve a fake website or ad selling a puppy or cat that is in another state. The victim sends money for the animal (usually by Zelle, PayPal, or CashApp). To make the deal more lucrative for himself, the scammer may also tell the victim he needs to purchase refundable insurance to ship the animal. In a new twist, some families are paying even more fees for a supposed special shipping crate to meet COVID restrictions or for a non-existent COVID vaccine for the pet.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

• If possible, find your pet locally.
• If you do purchase a pet online, make sure you find a reputable breeder or organization. Look for a long history of work, references, and certifications through breed-specific clubs or a national kennel club. Do not count on a fancy website as an indicator—anyone can make a good looking site these days.
• Do a reverse image search of any photo of your new pup to make sure the seller isn’t using the same picture across multiple sites.
• If you can’t meet the pup in person, ask for a video chat with the seller and the pup before paying.
• Use a credit card or payment platform with good dispute resolution policies. Never pay with cash, wire transfer, or gift cards.

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

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

Tom Redhawk Tias, age 21, faces federal charges in the death of Thomas James VanPelt, Jr., after an assault on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

VanPelt, Jr., age 46, died of injuries sustained during an altercation on January 26, 2021. On February 9, 2021, the FBI filed a sealed federal criminal complaint charging Tias with voluntary manslaughter.

Tias was held in tribal custody from shortly after VanPelt, Jr.’s, death until earlier this week. He has now been transferred to federal custody, and he made his initial appearance by phone from Umatilla County with a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Portland.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting this case.

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

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against love gone wrong. Last week we talked about traditional romance scams where your new life partner gets you to send money to him for some work, travel, or medical emergency. He’s half a world away and will visit you any day—with promises to pay you back—but neither he nor the money will ever show up. 

Today we are going to talk about another version of this scheme which the scammer sends the victim money, usually in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, or wire transfer. The virtual love claims he is out of the country and unable to cash the instruments or receive the funds directly. He asks the victim to redirect the funds back to him or to an associate to whom he purportedly owes money. In this situation, the victim becomes a money mule.  

Acting as a money mule—allowing others to use your bank account or conducting financial transactions on behalf of others—not only jeopardizes your financial security and compromises your personally identifiable information, but it is also a crime. Protect yourself by refusing to send or receive money on behalf of individuals and businesses for which you are not personally and professionally responsible.  

The most important thing to remember is that you should never agree to move money through your bank account or any other bank account. That can be illegal and put you in legal jeopardy. 

One final warning on physical safety and romance scams: If you are planning to meet someone in person who you have met online, the FBI recommends using caution, especially if you plan to travel to a foreign country. Do not travel alone. Check the State Department’s Travel Advisories before arranging any travel (http://travel.state.gov/). Victims who have agreed to meet in person with an online love interest have been reported missing, injured, and, in one instance, deceased. 

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

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

(OKLAHOMA CITY)—Under a unique hiring initiative, the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office will be hosting a virtual Diversity Agent Recruitment (DAR) event to attract highly qualified candidates for the Special Agent position. This event aims to encourage members of underrepresented communities—especially women and minorities—to consider becoming special agents.

FBI investigations are often extremely challenging, complex, and tend to span the globe. Having agents with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds provides us a better understanding of the communities we serve and improves our ability to successfully investigate while still protecting civil liberties.

The FBI’s DAR event will allow the opportunity to discuss the rewards of pursuing an exciting career as an FBI special agent and the critical role a diverse workforce plays in the success of the FBI. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about and ask questions related to:

• Life as a new agent (including training at the FBI Academy)
• Balancing a high-energy job with family
• Typical day in the life of an FBI special agent (hint: there isn’t one!)
• Working cases that make a difference in your community

The DAR event will be held virtually on March 25, 2021, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Pre-registration is required at: https://apply.fbijobs.gov

You can also access the pre-registration by going to fbijobs.gov, find “search jobs”, and type in DAR OKC.