Month: July 2021

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. For more information, go to https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud. Our series of “Tech Tuesday” reports this month will cover a variety of scams that seniors often face.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense against frauds targeting senior citizens when it comes to technical support scams.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says it received almost 10,000 reports from seniors 60 and older about such scams in 2020—with reported losses of more than $116 million. That’s a 204 percent increase in losses from 2019.

Technical support fraud happens when criminals pose as customer, security, or tech support representatives—usually from a well-known company. In one version of the scam, the fraudster contacts the victim by phone, email, or text to tell the victim that there’s a problem with the victim’s device or financial account. The fraudster may say the device has a security flaw and has been hacked… or that some unauthorized person is stealing money from a bank account.

In another version of the scam, the senior is experiencing a real technical problem with a device and goes out in search of help. When he pulls up the search engine results, he may inadvertently click on a bad ad instead of a legitimate vendor.

A third common way for a senior to get caught up in this scam is for the fraudster to use malware to cause a pop-up message or lock screen to appear on the senior’s device. 

No matter how the scam starts, the criminal’s goal is to convince the senior to give the fake tech support person remote access to the device. With that access, the fraudster can now potentially have access to all of the victim’s personal info, tax returns, and bank accounts. 

Criminals target seniors because they are often more trusting, financially stable, and less likely to report the crime out of shame. 

Here’s how you can protect yourself and your family members: 

• Know that legitimate tech support people will not contact you unsolicited. 
• Never give unknown, unverified people access to your devices. 
• Ensure that you update all anti-virus, security, and malware protection on your devices. Don’t let an unknown person tell you that he needs to do it for you. 
• If you receive a concerning pop-up or your screen locks, shut down your device immediately, regardless of the directions you receive from the scammer. Oftentimes, waiting a short time and rebooting will fix the problem. 
• When doing online searches for technical support, be cautious of listings at the top of the page labeled as “sponsored”. If you are having trouble with a particular software or hardware product, go directly to that company’s webpage. 

If you have been victimized by an online scam, report your suspicious contacts to the FBI. You can file an online report at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at  www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

NEW ORLEANS, LA—FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Douglas Williams, Jr. is pleased to announce Mr. Aaron Ahlquist as the recipient of the 2020 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Mr. Ahlquist is the Director of Community Engagement for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) South Region. He formerly served as Regional Director since 2017. He also serves as co-chair on the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Security Committee. Mr. Ahlquist is a highly effective leader in community outreach, involvement, and improvement. He is a valuable and highly appreciated resource and partner to the FBI New Orleans Division (FBI NO).

In 2004, Mr. Ahlquist, his wife, and children moved to New Orleans and made it their home. Since then, Mr. Ahlquist has been committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of hatred and bigotry through community engagement, incident response, and legislative policy work for the ADL Southern Division’s 11 states.

An active member of FBI NO’s Multicultural Engagement Council and Civil Rights Working Group, Mr. Ahlquist is working with the FBI on a joint innovative outreach strategy across Louisiana to reach underrepresented groups, particularly the Jewish, LGBTQ+, Latino, and African American communities, in furtherance of the FBI’s mission to build trust and develop stronger ties to the community, educate the public, and prevent hate-motivated and extremist crimes.

With sincere appreciation, FBI NO recognizes the compassion and outstanding service Mr. Ahlquist provided during a difficult year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide civil unrest, Mr. Ahlquist maintained consistent communication and supported FBI NO’s commitment to keep all Louisianians safe.

“Mr. Ahlquist’s tireless efforts demonstrate his commitment to help strengthen the relationship between the FBI and the communities we serve,” said FBI NO SAC Williams. “The FBI is proud to recognize his work and continued partnership.”

On Wednesday, July 14, 2021, FBI NO SAC Douglas Williams, Jr., Assistant Special Agent in Charge Vanessa Tibbits, and Community Outreach Specialist Lori Chauvin formally presented Mr. Aaron Ahlquist with the 2020 Director’s Community Leadership Award Nominee at the FBI NO Field Office.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

The Fairview Heights Resident Agency, part of the FBI Springfield Field Office, has organized a working group consisting of federal partners the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) to combat Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud.

The PPP and EIDL are part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act designed to provide financial assistance to millions of American businesses during the pandemic. PPP loans help businesses keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. Loan proceeds must be used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, utilities, and other limited property damage and operations costs as specified under the program.

The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that experience a temporary loss of revenue with proceeds used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses.

Criminals are fraudulently applying for these loans or targeting the funds once they have been disbursed. This type of fraud can involve business owners who have inflated their payroll expenses to obtain larger loans, fraudsters who create fake companies and identities, and organized criminal networks that submit identical loan applications under different company names. The ill-gotten money is then used for personal gain.

The PPP/EIDL Fraud Working Group, formed in collaboration with the FBI, IRS-CI, and SBA-OIG will combine resources to target this threat that is escalating at a record pace, and obtain critical data and evidence to identify PPP fraud.

“Unfortunately, when a crisis emerges as the result of a natural disaster or a global pandemic such as COVID-19, there are individuals within our society who will take advantage of the situation to defraud those in need of government economic relief packages as means to line their own pockets. We have seen several schemes related to the COVID-19 crisis. Be wary of anyone seeking personally identifiable information or financial information, in person or online, to facilitate application for or otherwise access government funds. The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting the American people and the integrity of government assistance programs. We will relentlessly pursue those who exploit government relief funds and use them for personal gain at the taxpayer’s expense. Our investigative partnerships will lead to prison terms for these criminals,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox.

“Our mission is to combat the exploitation of programs designed to help those in need. IRS-CI has successfully investigated PPP and EIDL fraud identifying millions in stolen funds,” said Amanda Prestegard, acting special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to partner with the FBI and SBA-OIG to aggressively pursue those who commit CARES Act fraud.”

Experience demonstrates that cooperation from public-private partnerships is one of the FBI’s best allies in maximizing awareness and visibility of suspicious conduct, including the misuse and abuse of taxpayer funds. If you suspect PPP/EIDL fraud, contact FBI Springfield at 217-522-9675 or submit tips to tips.fbi.gov or IRS.gov or SBA-OIG Fraud Hotline.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

ORLANDO, FL—The FBI Tampa Field Office is proud to announce Eric Alberts, a leader in emergency preparedness for the city of Orlando, as the recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for 2020. Mr. Alberts is the Corporate Director for Emergency Preparedness at Orlando Health. He demonstrates a sincere commitment to protecting his community by strengthening partnerships between the medical and law enforcement communities.

In April of 2016, Mr. Alberts invited the FBI Tampa Field Office to participate in an annual full-scale community exercise designed to test Emergency Management Services’ (EMS) ability to respond to mass casualty incidents. The FBI Orlando Resident Agency worked with several law enforcement and emergency management agencies in the planning and execution of this exercise. Two months later, the FBI responded to the Pulse Nightclub terror attack. The policies, procedures, and protocols instituted because of that training, helped save lives. Since then, Mr. Alberts has joined Assistant FBI Special Agent in Charge Ronald Hopper with crisis response training. Their coordinated message has facilitated partnerships between law enforcement and hospitals across the nation.

“Mr. Alberts has been a friend of the FBI for many years. He’s a leader who recognizes the importance of a well-planned, synchronized response to a crisis event. His dedication to emergency preparedness is helping make the Orlando community a safer place.” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael McPherson.

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 making a difference and exemplifying leadership to receive the award. For more information about this prestigious award, please go to: www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach/dcla

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

MIAMI—On June 29, 2021, a Miami Beach resident was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of human trafficking in connection with his coercing numerous women into prostitution through escort services across south Florida from 2015 to 2017. Ashley Moody, attorney general for the State of Florida, George L. Piro, special agent in charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Miami Field Office and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

Robert Atlee Miner V, 30, of Miami Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking, deriving support from the proceeds from prostitution, and money laundering, in addition to other charges, and was sentenced by 15th Judicial District Court Judge Cheryl A. Caracuzzo to 15 years in prison. Miner is required to register as a sexual offender upon his release in connection with the sex trafficking conviction(s).

The evidence collected during the investigation showed that, between 2015 and 2017, Miner placed employment advertisements across the United States on websites like Backpage.com and Craigslist.com, luring victims to his websites and ultimately to south Florida to work in positions he described as “dancers” or “companions.” However, once victims arrived in Florida (many of them vulnerable or disadvantaged), Miner compelled them to engage in prostitution, using fraud and manipulation. Miner preyed on many of his victims’ lack of financial stability, by promising them cars, residences, and access to bank accounts upon completion of his “program.”

Miner coerced his victims to engage in prostitution at hotels and motels throughout south Florida, to include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, and kept all of the proceeds earned by the victims, which he used to project an upscale lifestyle.

Miner was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol near Jacksonville, Florida, in October 2017 after law enforcement learned Miner was en route to North Carolina with one of his victims.

The investigation was conducted by the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which included investigators from the FBI and PBSO, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and the Miami Beach Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Justin Chapman and Stephanie Tew.