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Exotic Bird Smuggler Busted at the Border

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – Juandaniel Medina, the third individual in the past several weeks to have been charged with illegal trafficking of protected exotic birds through Ports of Entry in the Southern District of California, appeared in court today. Federal agents detained Medina at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after discovering seven live Amazon parrots in a cardboard box on the passenger floorboard. According to a federal complaint, Medina was the driver and registered owner of a vehicle in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials found the birds; he admitted paying $700 cash for the parrots with the intention of breeding and or reselling them in the United States in the future.

 

 

 

Cardboard box on the passenger floorboard; one of the captive birds peering out from inside the box

USFWS has identified six of the birds as Red-Lored Amazon Parrots. Fortunately, all seven of the parrots are alive and thriving at a quarantine facility managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

     

The seven Amazon parrots seized from GARCIA’s truck

 

The arrest follows the recent prosecution of another individual caught smuggling Amazon parrots through the same port of entry, highlighting a troubling pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California.

“The illicit parrot trade reflects a broader crisis in wildlife protection—where profit outweighs preservation.” aid U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Bird smuggling is not a victimless crime. These animals suffer, and the consequences to public health and the environment can be catastrophic. I thank U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their extraordinary coordination and vigilance in protecting both public safety and animal welfare.

According to U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Services, Amazon parrots are native to Mexico, the West Indies, and northern South America.  There are approximately thirty species of Amazon parrots, and all Amazon parrot species are listed on either Appendix I or Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (“CITES”).

Illegally imported birds bypass health screening and quarantine, which are required to protect the nation from infectious diseases. Avian influenza (bird flu), for instance, can spread through feathers, droppings, or even airborne particles and has previously caused massive culls of farm birds in the U.S. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia and death in humans and other birds including birds in United States poultry farms.  Many other diseases that can be transmitted from different animals and can have disastrous effects, that is why it is necessary to quarantine animals entering the United States to limit and safeguard against this potential disease transmission.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evangeline Dech.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 25-mj-3169                            

Juandaniel Medina                                          Age: 24                                   Lindsay, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Importation Contrary to Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545

Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Homeland Security Investigations

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Coast Guard interdicts 5 aliens off the coast of Point Loma, Calif.

Source: United States Coast Guard

 

06/10/2025 07:51 PM EDT

A crew aboard a Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team Los Angeles/Long Beach boat interdicted five aliens aboard a 20-foot pleasure craft, approximately 4 miles southwest, of Point Loma, Monday.

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Waco Man Federally Indicted After Allegedly Shooting Police K9 with Machine Gun

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WACO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Waco returned an indictment today charging a Waco man with one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.

According to court documents, Darrin King allegedly fled from Waco Police officers, who were dispatched to a civil disturbance involving a firearm on May 28. A police K9 was deployed in pursuit of King, who allegedly produced a firearm and fired multiple shots at the dog, striking the K9 twice in the neck and once in the chest. King was subsequently taken into custody and the firearm was recovered. The firearm was allegedly equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), also known as a “Glock switch,” allowing the firearm to fire as a fully automatic weapon. MCDs are defined as machineguns under the National Firearms Act, even when not installed.

The injured K9 survived his life-threatening injuries but, due to the extent of the injuries, will be medically retired.

King faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waco Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Blanton is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Laundered Over $800,000 of the Proceeds of a Business Email Compromise Scheme that Defrauded a Cedar Rapids Church

An accountant and adjunct business instructor who laundered over $800,000 of the proceeds of a multi-state business email compromise scheme was sentenced today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Margo Ann Williams, age 63, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, received the prison term after a September 12, 2024, jury verdict finding her guilty of one count of bank fraud, three counts of money laundering, three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

The evidence at trial showed that, between December 2022 and July 2023, five victims—a Cedar Rapids church, two businesses, a non-profit, and an individual—had their electronic payments misdirected due to hacked email accounts.  The email accounts were hacked while the victims were in the process of making large wire and automatic clearinghouse (“ACH”) transactions to others.  The victims received “spoofed” emails that falsely appeared to come from legitimate and trusted sources.  The fraudulent emails contained instructions to change the routing information for the wire and ACH transactions.  Unbeknownst to the victims, those accounts listed in the new instructions belonged to Williams.  After receiving “spoofed” emails, the victims instructed their banks to wire the funds according to the new payment instructions.  Williams received the funds into bank accounts she controlled, and then she rapidly transferred the stolen money to other bank accounts that she controlled.  Williams eventually transferred stolen funds to two national cryptocurrency exchanges and an individual in Florida.

For example, in June 2023, a Cedar Rapids church was engaged in a $7 million renovation of its campus.  The hackers compromised the email account of the project’s architect and caused the church to receive “spoofed” emails in which the email domain of the project’s general contractor was slightly changed.  As a result, the church representatives thought they were engaged in email correspondence with the project’s general contractor when, in truth, unknown individuals were impersonating the general contractor’s employees.  As a result, the church unwittingly wired over $466,000 to Williams’s shell corporation, “MBCI & Evercorp, LLC.”  Other victims in the business email compromise scheme included a hotel manager in Colorado, a large non-profit in Washington state, a self-employed homebuilder in Montana, and a general commercial contractor in Pennsylvania.

During the scheme, Williams repeatedly opened bank accounts at major national banks, including one in the name of her shell corporation.  As the banks discovered the fraud and closed the accounts, Williams continued to open new accounts at other banks in an effort to continue to perpetrate the fraud.  Williams claimed at trial that she was doing so at the direction of a famous British actor with whom she had formed a romantic relationship.  Williams earned approximately $25,000 from the scheme.  Williams made many personal purchases with the stolen money, including an Apple Watch and a Louis Vuitton handbag.

Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Williams was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $594,037.41 in restitution to her victims.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Kyndra A. Lundquist and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Williams was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-64.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

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Havre man sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

GREAT FALLS – A Havre man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Isaiah Starr Standingrock, 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on August 26, 2023, Standingrock attempted to evade law enforcement, leading to a high-speed pursuit on and off the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. During the pursuit, Standingrock called 911 several times, threatening to shoot officers and/or himself. Officers watched Standingrock throw various items out of his car window throughout the pursuit, including what appeared to be a gun (which was never recovered) and a blue Nike backpack (which was recovered and later searched). Standingrock later threw a pistol holster at officers during a brief standoff. Ultimately, Standingrock was taken into custody without incident.

In a search incident to arrest, officers seized $430 in various denominations of cash, as well as various empty syringes and a plastic bag. Officers observed what appeared to be fentanyl pills in plain view in the vehicle.

Officers then located a .40 caliber S&W round and a .38 caliber SPL +P round, as well as a syringe and tin foil in the blue Nike backpack. They recovered suspected fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder, a tube containing powder residence, a digital scale containing white powder, a flip phone and a gold iPhone from the vehicle search.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, and the Hill County Sheriff’s Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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Ecuadoran smugglers plead guilty to trafficking nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NORFOLK, Va. – Two Ecuadoran nationals pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel.

According to court documents, on Jan. 16, a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Waesche located a go-fast vessel (GFV) that appeared to be dead in the water with two people on board in international waters approximately 544 nautical miles south of Mexico. The GFV displayed no indicia of nationality.

A small boat from the USCG Cutter Waesche approached the GFV and the crew observed Adan Bolivar Arcentales Anchundia, 57, and Frowen Antonio Alcivar Muentes, 56, cutting lines connecting the GFV to bundles of bails in the water. USCG personnel boarded the vessel and conducted tests of the contents of one package taken from the water. The contents tested positive for cocaine. USCG personnel gathered additional contraband from the water around the GFV. In total, ten bales containing approximately 397.9 kilograms of cocaine were recovered.

Arcentales Anchundia pled guilty on May 28 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30. Alcivar Muentes plead guilty today and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and Eric M. Hurt are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-59 (Arcentales Anchundia) and  2:25-cr-69 (Alcivar Muentes).

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Justice Department Fighting Discrimination Against U.S. Workers

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Epik Solutions, a California technology recruiting company, to resolve Epik Solutions’ violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by preferring to recruit foreign H-1B visa holders over U.S. workers.

This settlement is the first since the department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that unlawfully discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign visa workers. The company will pay $71,916 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and refrain from placing job advertisements that unlawfully exclude U.S. workers from employment opportunities.

“A top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is protecting American workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign visa workers,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Companies engaging in such discrimination are on notice that the days of the federal government looking the other way on American workforce protection are over.”

The public can call Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.

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Justice Department Fighting Discrimination Against U.S. Workers

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Epik Solutions, a California technology recruiting company, to resolve Epik Solutions’ violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by preferring to recruit foreign H-1B visa holders over U.S. workers.

This settlement is the first since the department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that unlawfully discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign visa workers. The company will pay $71,916 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and refrain from placing job advertisements that unlawfully exclude U.S. workers from employment opportunities.

“A top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is protecting American workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign visa workers,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Companies engaging in such discrimination are on notice that the days of the federal government looking the other way on American workforce protection are over.”

The public can call Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.

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Pakistani National Extradited to Face Charges in Connection with Plot to Carry Out ISIS-Inspired Mass Shooting at Jewish Center in New York City

Source: United States Attorneys General 11

A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the United States on June 10, in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Khan is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on June 11.

“The foreign terrorist organization ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Khan allegedly tried to enter the United States to commit an attack on the Jewish community in New York City, planning an ISIS-inspired mass shooting around the one-year anniversary of the attack on Gaza by Hamas,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thankfully, the great work of the FBI and our partners shut that down, and Khan has now been extradited to New York to face American justice. I want to thank our teams and partners for their diligent work in this case and executing the mission.”

“As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror. Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”

Khan was provisionally arrested in Canada on Sept. 4, 2024 based on a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. As alleged in the complaint, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Subsequently, Khan began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the UCs).

During those conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1). Among other things, Khan said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the United States to conduct the attacks. During these conversations with the UCs, Khan emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”

On or about Aug. 20, Khan changed his target location from City-1 to New York City. After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, Khan decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York. Khan told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around Oct. 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated FTO, which, on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, Khan boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack.

Thereafter, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.” Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and discussed planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the United States. During one communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”

On or about Sept. 4, as Khan said he planned to do in connection with his attack, Khan attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border. To do so, Khan used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped by Canadian authorities in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.

Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Field Offices are investigating the case. The Justice Department is grateful to Canadian law enforcement for their actions in this matter. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Khan from Canada.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A complaint or an indictment merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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U.S. Attorney’s Office Co-Hosts 3rd Annual “Walk For Awareness ” Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In advance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is joining Age-Friendly Mecklenburg and AARP-Charlotte to co-host the 3rd Annual Walk for Awareness on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Freedom Park in Charlotte. Registration for the walk opens at 8:00 a.m. at Shelter #5 (adjacent to bandshell). The walk will begin at 9:00 a.m.

“Elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation affects too many older adults in our communities. Sadly, crimes against the elderly often go unreported. That’s why it’s important to raise awareness about what financial, physical, or emotional abuse looks like and how to seek help. By participating in events like this walk, we can all take an important step toward protecting our elders to ensure that they can live their advanced years with safety and dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

First recognized on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) seeks to promote a better understanding of the abuse and neglect suffered by millions of older adults, and bring attention to the cultural, social, economic, and demographic factors that contribute to elder abuse.

Financial exploitation is one of the fastest-growing crimes against older adults. According to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Report, a record number of financial losses were reported in 2024, totaling a staggering $16.6 billion. As a group, those over the age of 60 suffered the most financial losses ($4.8 billion) and submitted the most complaints (147,127). North Carolina ranked #9 in the number of complaints submitted to IC3 and #12 in reported financial losses. The report further indicates that investment fraud, tech support scams, extortion schemes and non-payment/non-delivery scams continue to impact older adults disproportionately, and government impersonation, romance scams, and phishing schemes continue to cost millions in losses for the 60+ population.

“It is not that older adults are more gullible,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson, “it’s that they have built up the assets that make them targets for criminals.”

Through prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to combat elder fraud involving domestic and transnational perpetrators. Major strides have already been made to that end:

  • In May, a California man was indicted for allegedly orchestrating a $4 million investment scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims.        
  • In March, a Nigerian national pleaded guilty to laundering millions in criminal proceeds linked to criminal activity, including romance scams that targeted older adults.
  • In March, a foreign national was extradited from Spain to face charges in Western North Carolina for an alleged international “tech support” scheme that targeted victims across the United States, including victims who were 55 and older.

In addition to prosecuting elder fraud cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its Elder Justice Initiative, partners with law enforcement agencies, local governments, and community organizations to ensure that older adults, caretakers, and those who come in frequent contact with the elderly are educated on how to detect, prevent, and report elder fraud, neglect, and abuse.

In May, the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in Age Friendly Mecklenburg’s annual Scam Jam to help educate older Americans on how to spot the tell-tale signs of potential scams and where to seek help if fraud is suspected. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues its efforts to educate the public by distributing the latest trends in schemes targeting older adults and sharing tips on how to be protected from scammers.

Additional financial schemes targeting older Americans are:

  • Tech Support Scams – Convince victims to pay for non-existent problems with their computers.
  • Non-Payment/Non–Delivery Scams – Induce victims to pay for goods or services online, but never receive them. A variation of this scheme is victims receiving emails or texts messages that appear to be from legitimate shipping companies (e.g., UPS, FedEx) with fake non-delivery notifications, claiming that payment or additional personal information is required to complete a package delivery.
  • Romance Scams – Lull victims into believing they are in an online romantic relationship and their paramour needs money to pay for a visit to the U.S. or for some other purpose.
  • Grandparent Scams – Dupe victims into thinking that their grandchildren or other relatives are in trouble and need money right away for bail or another emergency.
  • Charity Scams – Solicit donations for fake charities, or by altering or “spoofing” caller IDs to show the name of a real charity on the phone.
  • Lottery Scams – Scammers use phone calls, letters, or emails to convince victims that a large fee or taxes must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings.
  • Debt Collection Scams – Victims are threatened with arrest and jail time if payment for a fake debt is not made immediately.
  • Money Mule/Money Laundering Scams – Convince victims to use their existing or new bank accounts to quickly move funds in and out of those accounts. Generally, the transferred funds are proceeds of other criminal schemes (such as romance schemes) and victims are unwittingly being used to launder the ill-gotten funds.
  • Timeshare Scams – Fraudsters target timeshare owners with false promises of resale and exit from their timeshares for a fee.
  • Sham Business Opportunities – Convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or fake investments.

Here are some tips on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:

  • Don’t share personal or financial information with anyone you don’t know.
  • If the person asking the information claims to be a relative, a friend, someone you know, or a representative of a financial institution or government agency, do not respond right away. Instead, contact the person/entity independently or ask a trusted family member or friend for help.
  • Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
  • Don’t click on pop-up ads, messages, or virus warnings.
  • Delete phishing emails, do not respond to texts from unknown numbers, and ignore harassing phone calls.
  • Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger or someone who claims to be a relative without verifying the person’s identity.
  • Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or lucrative business deals.
  • If you suspect fraud, take the time to talk to a trusted friend or family member.
  • It’s not rude to say, “NO.”
  • Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
  • A good rule of thumb is, if it’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
  • And remember, there is no shame in falling victim to an online scammer. These are professional criminals that use tried-and-true tactics to perpetrate fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office urges the public to report suspected elder fraud by calling the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) or visiting the Elder Justice Initiative at Justice.gov/elderjustice for additional information and resources.