Category: FBI

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

The FBI El Paso Field Office is warning potential victims of a rise in money mule schemes.

A money mule is a person who transfers illegally obtained money between different payment accounts—often in different countries—on behalf of others. This year, the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division (CID) believes the general public is more susceptible to falling for money mule schemes because of an increase in opportunities for recruitment due to the surge in unemployment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2015 to 2019 reports of fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) have more than tripled, going from $1.1 billion to $3.5 billion. Much of this reported fraud has been enabled by money mules using a variety of fraud schemes used to exploit individuals, including computer technical support scams, romance scams, lottery scams, Internal Revenue Service imposter scams, and employment scams. With being the 2nd most populous state, last year Texas was ranked third in the country for the number of money mules—behind only California and Florida.

As these numbers increase, 2020 is offering a new set of challenges including fraudsters preying on those looking to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many companies are being forced to lay off workers or shut down completely during the pandemic, more “work from home” job opportunities are being advertised, even on reputable job sites.

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

Signs You May Be Acting as a Money Mule

• You receive an unsolicited email or contact over social media promising easy money for little to no effort.
• The “employer” you communicate with uses web-based email (such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or Outlook).
• You are asked to open a bank account in your own name, or in the name of a company you form, to receive and transfer money.
• As an employee, you are asked to receive funds in your bank account and then “process funds” or “transfer funds” via a wire transfer, ACH, mail, or money service business (such as Western Union or MoneyGram).
• You are allowed to keep a portion of the money you transfer.
• Your duties have no specific job description.
• Your online companion, whom you have never met in person, asks you to conduct financial transactions that they should reasonably be able to do for themselves, and offers to share the proceeds of that transaction with you.
• Your online companion is adamant that you keep the relationship and the associated financial transactions secret.

How to Protect Yourself

• Do not accept any job offers that ask you to use your own bank account to transfer their money. A legitimate company will not ask you to do this.
• Be wary when an employer asks you to form a company to open a new bank account.
• Never give your financial details to someone you don’t know and trust, especially if you met them online.
• Be wary when job advertisements are poorly written with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
• Be suspicious when the individual you met on a dating website wants to use your bank account for receiving and forwarding money.
• Perform online searches to check the information from any solicitation emails and contacts.
• Ask the employer, “Can you send a copy of the license/permit to conduct business in my county or state?”
• Use the privacy settings on your social media and be selective about the information you make public.
• If you are unsure whether or not you are being used as a money mule and you are uncomfortable talking to law enforcement, consult with your local bank branch.

How to Respond

• If you have received solicitations of this type, do not respond to them and do not click on any links they contain. Inform your local police or the FBI.
• If you believe that you are participating in a money mule scheme, stop transferring money immediately and notify your bank, the service you used to conduct the transaction, and law enforcement.

If you believe you, or someone you know, has been solicited to be a money mule, please contact the FBI El Paso Field Office at (915) 832-5000. To report suspicious activity, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

For more information on money mules, including tips and what you can do if you think you are being targeted, please visit:

Help raise awareness by sharing the facts through #DontBeAMule.

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

With more people than ever before shopping online, FBI El Paso wants to warn shoppers to be diligent about what gifts they are buying, and where they’re buying those gifts. Scammers count on you not to do your homework, and to believe those expensive gifts in pop-up ads are truly half price. Don’t fall for it. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers may offer too-good-to-be-true deals through phishing emails or advertisements. Some may offer brand name merchandise at extremely low discounts or promise gift cards as an incentive to purchase a product.

There are ways to protect yourself when shopping online:

• Buy directly from a secure and reputable website.
• Beware of social media posts that appear to offer special vouchers or gift cards, or particularly low prices.
• Verify the legitimacy of buyers or sellers before making a purchase. If you’re using an online marketplace or auction website, check feedback ratings.
• Avoid solicitations or ads with misspelled words, broken English, or requests to pay for your order with a gift card.
• Track your order through your original confirmation email.
• Check your credit card and bank statements regularly to make sure no fraudulent charges show up.

If you suspect you’ve been victimized:

• Contact your financial institution immediately upon suspecting or discovering a fraud.
• Contact local law enforcement.
• File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Resources

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

EL PASO—Luis Quesada, special agent-in-charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office, is pleased to announce that Mary Aguilar Yañez has been named the 2019 recipient of the FBI’s Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for the El Paso Field Office.

Director’s Community Leadership Award

The FBI can only conduct investigations and protect the American people from crime and acts of extremism if it has the support and understanding of the American people. That’s why the special agents-in-charge of each of our 56 field offices work so closely with their communities and community organizations. What happens when these special agents-in-charge get such tremendous support from people in their communities that they want to specially recognize them? They nominate them for a Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). This special award, presented on behalf of the Director of the FBI, was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.

2019 FBI El Paso DCLA Recipient Mary Aguilar Yañez

Mrs. Yañez is a lifetime resident of El Paso and has contributed to the El Paso community for over fifty years through education and community service. In 2019, she celebrated 46 years as an employee of the El Paso Community College. Mrs. Yañez is passionate about educational opportunities for the underserved and is the founder of community programs and services for youth, women, and the elderly. She serves on numerous committees and boards playing an active role in helping the underprivileged youth and elderly.

Mrs. Yañez has served as the Senior Adult Program Director at the El Paso Community College since 1989. The program provides educational opportunities and cultural experiences to a diverse older population in El Paso. She is the co-producer and host of the Mature Living television show, which highlights active seniors and provides relevant information about senior services.

Mrs. Yañez has been involved in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for over 35 years. In 1987 and 2014, she was honored with Woman of the Year at the El Paso District IV Convention. She has held numerous positions in LULAC over her tenure: Council President, Vice President, District IV Deputy Director for Youth, Deputy Director for Elderly, and Director of District IV El Paso. Mrs. Yañez has taken on these leadership roles in LULAC to ensure that the Hispanic culture is preserved and that Hispanic strength in the economic progress of the USA through education is maximized.

Mrs. Yañez has worked to improve the quality of life in our community by leading and inspiring many others to positively impact the El Paso region by being a hands-on leader. It is an honor for the El Paso office to have Mrs. Yañez receive such prestigious recognition.

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

On October 14, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assisted by Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Police Department, executed a federal arrest warrant for an El Paso man that allegedly assaulted a federal officer.

In El Paso, Texas, 40-year-old Hilario Cadena was arrested for allegedly assaulting a federal officer located on the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Reservation.

On August 25, 2020, officers of the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Police Department responded to a disturbance in front of the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center. When officers tried to intervene in the disturbance, Cadena resisted detention and displayed a large rock that could have been used to seriously hurt the officers.

Cadena has been charged with 1 count of 18 U.S.C. 111 (a) and (b) Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation El Paso Division and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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

The FBI has seen a recent increase in phone calls that spoof the Bureau’s phone number as part of various scams, but most recently in trying to obtain personal banking information from unsuspecting citizens in the Midland/Odessa area. The callers will often “spoof,” or fake, the FBI Midland’s phone number, 432-570-0255, so the call appears to be coming from the FBI on the recipient’s caller ID. In this scam, fraudulent callers pose as an FBI agent and try to obtain personal information, banking information, or social security numbers. The scammer provides a fake name and badge number to trick the victim into believing they are an FBI agent. The scammer is harassing individuals to provide additional personal information.

These calls are fraudulent—any legitimate law enforcement officer will not demand cash or gift cards from a member of the public. The FBI defines this type of scam as government impersonation fraud, in which criminals impersonate government officials in an attempt to collect money. The criminals often threaten to extort victims with physical or financial harm to obtain personally identifiable information. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and organized in their approach, are technologically savvy, and often target young persons and the elderly.

To protect yourself from falling victim to this scam, be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize. Do not send money or gift cards to anybody that you do not personally know and trust. Never give out your personal information, including banking information, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 13,873 people reported being victims of government impersonation scams in 2019, with losses totaling more than $124 million.

Anyone who feels they were the victim of this or any other online scam should report the incident immediately using the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov. More information about government impersonation schemes and other online fraud schemes can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes.