Top Stories

Google says its new AI powered defenses block 10 billion scam calls and texts on Android each month

China sentences five to death for operating scam compounds

Europol takes down three large credit card fraud operations; 18 arrested; used stolen card numbers to launder fraud money; over €300 million in losses

Digital Arrest Scams.  There is much angst in India about this type of fraud. But from reading articles about this, I’m not sure there is agreement about just what this consists of. It does seem to begin with a call from a law enforcement impersonator, claiming that the victim has been involved and threatening arrest. Beyond that I’m not sure if this is actually a different pitch than the scams we see that tell victims that they need to move their money to the caller to keep it “safe.”  So it may be just a new term for a fraud that we already see. But I’m be interested in hearing from anyone that knows more than I.

Full Report here

Meta takes down 8 million scam accounts on Facebook and Instagram

Full report here

Myanmar military arrests 2000 at scam compound call center

Canada set to set new national fraud strategy and to launch new financial crime agency

SpaceX says it has cut off 2500 Starlink devices at scam compounds in Myanmar

Full Report here

Top Stories

India busts call center, arrest 16 who were calling victims in the US and Canada claiming they were to be arrested and needed to pay money

US attempts to seize $14 billion in bitcoin tied to Chinese-run crypto romance fraud ran from Cambodia

Brooklyn: US indicts head of same Cambodian crypto romance call center

WSJ: Scam texts for unpaid road tolls and phishing come from Chinese gangs; more than $1 billion worth; used for ghost tapping frauds used to buy physical goods by mules

Excellent webinar on the work and role of Nigerian Black Axe Gang (60 minutes)

Full report here

Top Stories

Interpol operation in Africa leads to arrests of 260 for romance fraud and sextortion

FTC settles case against Amazon over Prime subscriptions and making it hard to cancel; to pay $1 billion penalty and another $1.5 billion in refunds to victims

FTC explains who is eligible for refunds from Amazon Prime

Full report here

Brooklyn: DOJ indicts two members of the Jalisco drug cartel for operating call centers in Mexico reaching out to US owners of Mexican timeshares claiming they had a buyer; operated ten years; the  two are not yet in custody

Interpol operation involving 40 countries seizes $440 million from romance, BEC and other frauds

Nevada: Woman pleads guilty to scheme that mass mailed notices to victims telling them they had won and needed to send a small sum to claim prize; took in $15 million

Scams or Fraud – Is there a difference?  I’ve heard some people believe that  these terms have legal significance.  To prove fraud, of course, requires that the perpetrator did it intentionally, that it was not a mistake for example.  Normally that isn’t too hard to prove.  I suspect that the term “scams” developed as a shorthand and suggests that they have a lesser significance.  But for my purposes they are the same, and the term scams is not meant to downplay the seriousness of the activity.

Full report here

Top Stories

Tech support frauds in India partner with Chinese groups to pick up and launder victim money.  How does this system work?  Interesting insights into those networks

Does prosecuting scammers work?  From time to time I hear people say that you can’t arrest yourself out of scams.  To the extent that such voices are saying that there are other things that can be done (education disruption, dealing with the avenues where scam money travels, etc.) that is doubles true. But I fear that at times this is just as excuse by law enforcement which does not have the resources, training, or internal support to take action.  In my experience, though, the frauds do keep a close eye on what enforcers are doing, and since they really don’t want to go to jail they avoid engaging in scams where there has been effective enforcement.  For example, after the Southern District of Illinois successfully extradited some scammers who ran call centers in Canada and convicted them in the US the number of fraud call centers in Canada plummeted.  And there are other types of frauds and scams that we have eliminated.   If burglaries were never prosecuted is there any doubt that they would skyrocket?  I doubt they would ever be eliminated, but they might be kept to manageable levels.  The crooked and greedy will ever be with us.  But we should all honor and encourage the law enforcement agencies that take the time and work to successfully send the crooks to the clink.  They are watching what we do.

Full report here

Scammers are NOT Robin Hood.  Fraudsters bring in a lot of money, and of course spend it in the area where they are located. Some may even contribute to local charities. But the data shows that the areas where scammers tend to locate also suffer more scams and fraud than other places.  For example, Florida has often topped the list of scam complaints per capita. Where crooks locate, spread, and teach others their methods local people suffer.

Full report here

FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center warns of a sharp increase in complaints that begin with a tech support scam and then moves to a second stage where victims get calls impersonating banks or government agencies telling victims that there money is at risk and must be moved to a “safe” account

San Diego: Youtube scam baiter helps take down network of Chinese gang members, many here illegally,  who were helping and laundering money for call centers in India; gang handled $65 million; 28 charged and 25 arrested so far

Chinese money laundering gangs handle funds for drug cartels and for fraud gangs; handed $312 billion over four years says FinCEN

Full report here

Top Stories

Interpol leads crackdown in Africa against scammers; 1209 arrested across Africa; $97.4 million seized; from crypto mining investment scams to inheritance frauds

New fraud technique called “Ghost-tapping:” crooks put stolen credit cards onto burner phones; link to Google Pay and Apple pay; can have mules buy goods at a physical location and just tap the card

FCC bars 1200 voice service providers from the US phone system in crackdown on illegal robocalls

CBS Interview with Apple Cofounder Steve Wozniak on online scams; how he sued Youtube for using clip of him to further bitcoin scam

Full report here