FBI Seeks Information on White Swan Man for Violent Assault of Partner

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

SEATTLE, WA—The FBI’s Seattle Field Office is seeking information regarding Louis Sam Wyena, 42, of White Swan, for his alleged involvement in the violent assault of an intimate partner, which resulted in substantial bodily injury to the victim in White Swan, Washington. The incident occurred in December 2019. Louis Sam Wyena may visit or have ties to the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation, Columbia River in-lieu sites. See poster for more information.

On August 18, 2020, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Wyena in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Spokane, Washington, after he was charged with the aforementioned crime.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents should contact the FBI’s Seattle Field Office at 206-622-0460 or tips.fbi.gov.

FBI Cautions Public to Beware of Scammers Post Disasters

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

Press release available in both English and Spanish.

HOUSTON, TX—As Texas recovers from winter storm Uri, many charities have been set up to help those in need, but don’t let scammers prey on your kindness. Scammers want to help themselves to your money. They’re competing with legitimate charities and taking advantage of your generosity.

Charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead, the money goes to the fake charity’s creator.

Charity fraud scams can come to you in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. Always use caution and do your research when you’re looking to donate to charitable causes.

Protect Yourself: The following tips can help you avoid these schemes:

  • Never let anyone rush you into donating. Pressuring you to act right away is something scammers do.
  • Give to established charities or groups whose work you know and trust. Don’t assume the charity you have seen on social media or online is legitimate, even it if was sent to you by a friend.
  • Be aware of organizations with copycat names or names similar to reputable organizations.
  • Be wary of new organizations that claim to aid victims of recent high-profile disasters.
  • Do your research. Use the Federal Trade Commission’s resources (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-donate-wisely-and-avoid-charity-scams) to examine the track record of a charity.
  • Give using a check or credit card. If a charity or organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, virtual currency, or wire transfer, it’s probably a scam.
  • Practice good cyber hygiene:
    • Don’t click links or open email/text attachments from someone you don’t know.
    • Manually type out links instead of clicking on them.
    • Don’t provide any personal information in response to an email, robocall, or robotext.
    • Check the website’s address—most legitimate charity organization websites use .org, not .com.

If you suspect you’ve been victimized or have information about these types of schemes, you can:

  • Contact your financial institution immediately upon suspecting or discovering a fraud.
  • Report fraud to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
  • Report online fraud to the FBI’s (IC3) Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
  • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Resources:

  • https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/charity-and-disaster-fraud
  • https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-donate-wisely-and-avoid-charity-scams
  • https://www.consumidor.ftc.gov/destacado/como-donar-sabiamente-y-evitar-estafas-de-caridad

El FBI Advierte al Público a Tener Cuidado con Estafadores que se Aprovechan Despues de Desastres

HOUSTON, TX—Ahora que el estado de Texas se recupera de la tormenta invernal Uri, muchas organizaciones de beneficencia se han establecido para ayudar a la gente necesitada, pero no deje que los estafadores se aprovechen de su amabilidad. Estafadores quieren ayudarse a asimismo con su dinero. Están compitiendo con organizaciones de beneficencia legítimas y se están aprovechando de su generosidad.

Los planes de fraude buscan donaciones para organizaciones que hacen poco o nada de trabajo—en cambio, el dinero va al creador de la organización de beneficencia fraudulenta.

Estafas de fraude de supuestas organizaciones de beneficencia pueden llegar en muchas formas: correos electrónicos, publicación en medios de redes sociales, plataformas de ‘crowdfunding’, llamadas no solicitadas, etc. Siempre use precaución he investigue cuando quiera hacer una donación a causas benéficas.

Protéjase Los siguientes consejos le pueden ayudar a evitar estas estafas:

  • Nunca deje que alguien lo apresure a donar. Presionando que actúe de inmediato es algo que los estafadores hacen.
  • Done a organizaciones de beneficencia establecidas o a grupos cuyo trabajo conoce y les tiene confianza. No asuma que la organización de beneficencia que vio en las redes sociales o en línea es legítima, aunque haya sido enviado por un amigo.
  • Tenga en cuenta organizaciones con nombres de imitación o nombres similares a organizaciones respetables.
  • Tenga en cuenta nuevas organizaciones que afirman ayudar a víctimas de recientes desastres de alto nivel.
  • Investigue. Use los recursos de la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC)
    (https://www.consumidor.ftc.gov/destacado/como-donar-sabiamente-y-evitar-estafas-de-caridad) para examinar el historial de la organización.
  • Use un cheque o tarjeta de crédito para donar. Si una organización de beneficencia le pide que done por medio de dinero en efectivo, tarjeta de regalo, moneda virtual, o transferencia bancaria, es probablemente una estafa.
  • Practique buena higiene cibernética:
    • No haga clic a enlaces o abra los correos electrónicos/textos adjuntos de alguien que no conoce.
    • Teclee manualmente los enlaces en vez de hacerles clic.
    • No proporcione ninguna información personal cuando conteste un correo electrónico, llamada automática o texto automático.
    • Verifique la dirección del sitio web—sitios web de la mayoría de las organizaciones de beneficencia legítimas usan .org, no .com.

Si sospecha que ha sido víctima o tiene información de este tipo de fraude, puede:

  • Inmediatamente contactar a su institución financiera cuando sospeche o descubra fraude.
  • Denunciar el fraude al FBI en tips.fbi.gov.
  • Denunciar fraude en línea al FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) en www.ic3.gov
  • Someter una queja con la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC) en ReportFraud.ftc.gov

FBI Dallas and Dallas Museum of Art Announce Transfer of Stele of Lakshmi-Narayana to Government of Nepal

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

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 officials from the Dallas FBI Field Office and the Dallas Museum of Art announced the transfer of a recovered stone artifact that was previously on loan to the museum from a private collection. With the full support of the object’s lender, the Stele of Lakshmi-Narayana was transported from Dallas, Texas, to Washington, D.C., then was returned to Nepali custody on March 5, 2021.

“Along with the FBI’s Art Crime Team, the Dallas FBI is grateful for the Dallas Museum of Art’s determination to assist in the safe return of the Stele of Lakshmi-Narayana to the government of Nepal,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI has developed significant relationships with our foreign partners that are committed to the protection of cultural property. We will continue to work with those partners to keep the public informed and updated about art and cultural property theft crimes to bring greater awareness to stolen artifacts.”

Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense Against COVID-19 Good Samaritan Frauds

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.

Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense When Buying a Pandemic Puppy

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.