Category: FBI

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

Today, family members of fallen FBI Special Agent Martha Dixon stopped at the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office on their 330 mile bicycle ride from her engraved name in Washington, D.C. to her engraved name here in Pittsburgh. Martha’s Ride calls attention to her heroic sacrifice. The ride started in Washington, D.C. on October 4th and ended at the field office named after her on October 8th.

“We all walk into this building named after Ms. Dixon every day and remember the sacrifice she made,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “We are thankful to her family for continuing to honor her legacy.”

“Martha’s Ride honors the enduring legacy of a true American hero,” said Kevin Dixon, Martha Dixon’s brother. “Martha was unfortunately called upon to make the supreme sacrifice for her fellow Americans. Aside from a devoted agent, she was known for her love of her young nieces and nephews and for athletics. To keep her memory alive, the Martha Fund conducts the ‘Martha’s Ride,’ as well as a run in her name each spring as an homage to her athleticism. It also honors her love for kids by helping build playgrounds in the Pittsburgh area.”

Money raised from the ride will go to the Martha Fund, which has been building playgrounds in the Greater Pittsburgh area for more than 20 years. Martha Fund will make a meaningful donation to renovate this playground in Martha’s name.

Special Agents Martha Dixon Martinez and Michael John Miller, as well as Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Sergeant Hank Daly, were shot and killed inside the District’s police headquarters building on November 22, 1994. The gunman entered the “cold case” squad room, to which the agents were assigned, and opened fire with an assault weapon. Special Agent Martha Dixon Martinez was born in January 1959 in Pittsburgh. Several years after receiving her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh, Special Agent Martinez entered on duty with the FBI. Her first office of assignment was Knoxville, where she was the first female agent in the field office to be certified as a SWAT team member. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Pittsburgh Field Office was named in honor of Martha Dixon Martinez on November 20, 2001.

For additional information on Martha Dixon Martinez, please check out the following site: https://www.fbi.gov/history/wall-of-honor/martha-dixon-martinez.

For media inquiries please call (412) 396-9504 or e-mail cpolicicchio@fbi.gov.

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

Each week, the FBI is working to help Oregonians #BeCyberAware as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This week: Cybersecurity Basics.

“What are the most common scams we are seeing in Oregon?”

The most common cyber scams that we are seeing in Oregon, ranked by the number of complaints into the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, are:

1. online shopping
2. phishing
3. extortion
4. hacking
5. romance scams
6. business email compromise scams

By dollar losses, business email compromise scams top the list.

“What are the most important things I should know about cyber scams?”

Here are three of the most important things to keep yourself safe from cyber scams:

1. Never click on links or attachments in emails, text messages, or social media posts. They can contain malware that will infect your device or lead you to a fraudulent (but real-looking) website to collect user ID and password info.
2. Don’t share personal or sensitive info with people you meet online. You can never take back compromising pictures… and no one should contact you unsolicited to ask for your financial or health information.
3. Trust your gut. As the old saying goes, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“What are some easy steps you can take today to increase your safety online?”

There are a number of easy steps you can take to greatly increase your safety online:

1. Lock down all of your social media accounts with security and privacy in mind. Restrict your friend lists to include only those who you know and trust in real life.
2. Set your devices, software, and apps to update automatically.
3. Make sure every online account – whether it is your favorite shopping portal or your utility provider – has robust security. That means using strong passwords or passphrases and/or multi-factor authentication.

“What is social engineering?”

A scammer uses social engineering to generate an intense emotion in you to get you to act quickly without thinking. That emotion could be fear, anger, excitement, or even curiosity.

Examples include scams where you are told you are in trouble with the law, have won a huge lottery, or need to immediately help a family member in danger.

The fraudster will use your heightened emotion to get you to give them money or personal information.

“What should I do if I am the victim of a cyber scam?”

If you are the victim of a cyber scam, the first thing you should do is to contact your bank, credit card company, or other financial institution. Let them know you suspect fraud and ask them to lock down your accounts.

In some cases, you may need a police report to file a fraud complaint. Contact your local law enforcement to do that.

Check your credit report regularly for ongoing concerns. Everyone is entitled to at least one report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. During these COVID times, they are offering Americans even more frequent options. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to find out more.

Finally, report fraud to the FBI through our Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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

HOUSTON, TX—At a news conference held at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Houston Field Office, community partner, ADL Southwest Regional Director Mark B. Toubin stood with FBI Houston Acting Special Agent in Charge (A/SAC) Mark N. Webster, Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Nitiana Mann, and Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Heather Armstrong to announce an FBI initiative that encourages the public to report allegations of hate crime. As part of a nationwide effort, the FBI is asking victims and witnesses to submit tips to tips.fbi.gov or by calling the FBI toll-free at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Today is the 12th anniversary of the date that Congress finalized the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, 2009. President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, on Oct. 22, 2009, increasing the FBI’s jurisdiction to investigate bias-motivated crimes. In the late 90s, the Houston Field Office of the FBI conducted the investigation of the murder of James Byrd, Jr., one of the most brutal hate crimes in Texas history.

The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. The Bureau works closely with its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases, even when federal charges are not pursued. The FBI also works to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups.

A/SAC Webster stated, “The FBI’s mission is to protect everyone in our community regardless of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. As defenders of the United States Constitution, in one of the most diverse cities in this nation, FBI Houston is creating awareness about the strength that comes from our differences while ensuring that those who violate federal hate crime laws face federal charges.”

“We promise if you pick up the phone and dial, we will answer the call and that victims will be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect,” said ASAC Mann. “The FBI needs witnesses and victims, regardless of immigration status, to take action and contact law enforcement because their reports are a critical piece of the puzzle required to accurately identify and investigate hate crimes.” Reports may be submitted anonymously.

When a federal hate crime has occurred, FBI victim specialists work with FBI special agents to inform victims of their legal rights and connect them to crucial resources to help them cope. SSA Heather Armstrong stated, “Hate crimes strike at the heart of one’s identity—they strike at a victim’s sense of self and belonging. FBI Victim Specialists stand ready to provide assistance to identified federal crime victims.” Treating victims with respect, compassion, and dignity is a priority to FBI victim specialists. Providing personalized assistance to victims helps the FBI build stronger cases.

There is wide speculation that many hate crimes go unreported to law enforcement and from the FBI’s perspective, even one hate crime is one too many. In August, the FBI released Hate Crime Statistics, 2020, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s latest compilation about bias-motivated incidents throughout the nation. Over 15,000 law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports last year and there were 7,759 bias-motivated incidents reported nationwide. In Texas, the 2020 FBI hate crime statistics were based on data received from 1,073 of 1,158 law enforcement agencies in the state that year and there were 406 reported hate crimes.

ADL Southwest Regional Director Mark B. Toubin commented, “Even though hate crimes are underreported, tracking them helps us understand how they may be trending and affirms the need for strong hate crime laws. ADL does professional development classes for law enforcement to help them understand how to recognize and report hate crimes, and for the community to help people recognize them and respond. We join the FBI in encouraging individuals and law enforcement agencies to report hate crimes.”

As part of the new campaign, members of the public may spot FBI ads in social media feeds, monthly news publications, local newspapers, at the Greyhound bus terminal, and at the William P. Hobby airport. The national campaign also includes paid advertising with:

• Digital and static billboards (by Lamar and Pacific Outdoor) running throughout Texas
• Over 100 gas stations in Texas
• Radio ads on iHeartRadio, Audacy, and Pandora/SiriusXM
• TV ads (Univision/KUNP)
• Web ads
• Social media ads (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)

More information on how the FBI is fighting hate crimes can be found at: fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes

The latest Hate Crime Statistics reports are available through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program at: fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr

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

SACRAMENTO—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently launched a nationwide campaign to increase awareness of hate crimes and encourage victims and witnesses of hate-related crimes to report them to law enforcement. To complement this effort, the FBI Sacramento Field Office has placed print ads in several locally-owned community publications and placed Spanish language radio public service ads throughout its 34-county area of responsibility in partnership with the California Broadcasters Association. The print ads include a QR code that immediately routes viewers to the FBI Civil Rights Program web page to offer more detail about hate crimes and additional resources, https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes.

“Our local campaign represents an investment in the communities we serve and enhances our continuing outreach and education efforts throughout our territory,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “No member of our community, regardless of background or immigration status, should be victimized by bias-motivated threats or violence. When those crimes do occur, they deserve response and action. We encourage victims to come forward and report all incidents to law enforcement. In order to protect our communities, we also encourage witnesses and concerned citizens ant potential hate crimes.”

Victims and witnesses of hate crimes are encouraged to report the crime to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

A federal hate crime is defined as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. Hate crimes are a high priority for the FBI because of the intended, devastating impact such crimes have on entire communities.

As the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes, the FBI partners with local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation of the facts of alleged crimes, even if federal charges are not ultimately pursued. The FBI is committed to protecting all victims of federal crimes, regardless of immigration status.

The criminal aspect of the offense is an important element. Hate itself, while hurtful and offensive, is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties while ensuring the safety of all communities it serves. “While hateful speech is largely protected, a threat is an example of speech—written or spoken–that may cross the line and be a criminal offense,” clarified Ragan.

The FBI released “Hate Crime Statistics, 2020” in August. The release and report are available via the following link: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2020-hate-crime-statistics.

To learn more about federal hate crime statutes and state hate crime laws, visit the United States Department of Justice website at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/laws-and-policies

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

A man wearing a bucket hat and a red T-shirt displayed a handgun in his waistband as he robbed a northeast Albuquerque bank on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

The robbery at First Convenience Bank, inside the Walmart Supercenter at 2701 Carlisle Boulevard NE, occurred at approximately 10:09 a.m.

The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s, approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall, with a medium build.

He wore a black and white bucket hat, a camouflage bandana over his face, a red Ecko T-shirt with an image of a rhino on the front, dark pants, and black and white checkerboard tennis shoes.

The suspect also had a prominent tattoo on his left hand.

He entered the bank and displayed a handgun in his waistband as he presented a demand note to a teller.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect, who left the bank through the pharmacy side of the store.

The Albuquerque Police Department is assisting with this investigation.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300, or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at (505) 843-STOP.

Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Information about other bank robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov.

Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years. The use of a gun, other dangerous weapon, toy gun, or hoax bomb device during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years.