Addressing consumer fraud around the world. The Baker Fraud Report focuses on mass marketing fraud – where victims never meet the fraudster in person but communicate over the phone, though the mail, or on the internet.
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
Top Stories
Brooklyn: US indicts head of same Cambodian crypto romance call center
Excellent webinar on the work and role of Nigerian Black Axe Gang (60 minutes)
Top Stories
Interpol operation in Africa leads to arrests of 260 for romance fraud and sextortion
Interpol operation involving 40 countries seizes $440 million from romance, BEC and other frauds
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.
Top Stories
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.
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.
Top Stories
FCC bars 1200 voice service providers from the US phone system in crackdown on illegal robocalls
All 51 State Attorney Generals form group to combat robocalls
Let us know when scammers caught in the US are from other countries. I have noticed that many people arrested in the US for fraud are really from other countries (such as Nigeria, India, Romania, or China) and may well be in the country illegally. Many times press releases do not reveal these facts, even though they are is reported in their home country news media, such as in Nigeria or India. At times the origin of the person is revealed in the indictment or other legal papers. These are just facts tying them to foreign gangs, and disguising their origins helps no one.
Top Stories
Boston: Thirteen charged in grandparent scam that operated from a call center in the Dominican Republic; took in $5 millionForeign gangs operating in the US: Foreign fraud gangs have at least thousands of people physically in the US who help operate the frauds. Some make calls directly; others send mail or email and may help set up websites. And of course these US based helpers launder money, open bank accounts, recruit money mules or go to the homes of victims to pick up money (or hire Uber driver or other couriers). Thus well over a hundred people from India have been convicted over this type of work. And Romanians fly in, set up ATM skimmers, and fly out. Many of these criminals are here illegally, either having crossed the border or overstaying tourist or student visas. When caught taking part in frauds couldn’t/shouldn’t they be deported?
