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Debbie DeemFBI Victim Specialist, [email protected]

Unclassified DDeem FBI VS Nov. 2016

• A victim is defined by federal statute as anyone who has suffered direct or proximate physical, emotional, or pecuniary (financial) harm, as a result of a federal offense

• Eligible victims include next-of-kin of deceased victims, and non-offending family members or guardians of minor victims

• Victims may also include businesses, NGO’s

To identify the victims of federal crimes, including names and contact information

Provide information to victims on their rights

Provide information on available services, point of contact, to help with counseling, treatment and support and help with victim compensation and referrals

Provide key event notifications and case status at the earliest opportunity after the detection of the crime

Reasonable protection (through agents)

Return of personal effects

Employer/debt notification (18 USC 1512 note 1984)


Providing on-scene/after scene direct assistance to victims

Crisis intervention, assessing and triaging victim needs

Providing referrals to counseling, employment, housing, immigration, medical, legal and other NGO and govt. services

Accompanying FBI agents on interviews to provide support to victims and/or to deliver death notifications

Mass casualty/terrorism victim response

Coordinating forensic interviews and sexual assault examinations Serve as liaison between the victim and the FBI throughout the

course of the investigation

Coordinate efforts with other professionals involved in the case, including USAO Victim Assistance Programs, child/adult protective services, and local victim service providers


Can include 1 to thousands of victims on one investigation

Individuals and businesses/NGO’s

Investment fraud, embezzlements

Mortgage fraud

Identity theft

Mass marketing scams

Cyber frauds

◦ (computer intrusions, phishing, BEC, DDoS, data breaches, extortion)

Health care frauds

Bank, wire frauds

Active investigations: Large scale victim information, questionaires or seeking victims at

◦ https://www.fbi.gov/resources/victim-assistance

Outcomes?◦ Crisis intervention- stabilize,

locate resources◦ Manage expectations-

complaints filed, investigation vs prosecution, reports to IC3 and FTC, restitution recovery often not ‘likely’ for many victims

◦ Help them identify needs, and assist their efforts to problem solve in short and long term

◦ Mitigate against future re-victimization (safety planning)


https://www.fbi.gov/resources/victim-assistance

A scam artist is committing malpractice if is he’s not using the internet.

Danner 2000 cited in The Human Cost of Fraud, MaIntyre Hudson


◦ “Criminals are committing malpractice if they are not using the internet …. Especially to target, trick, take and traumatize vulnerable victims.”


BEC #1 reported crime by loss amount- 7,837 victim companies with over $226 million in reported losses

Romance scams #1 personal crime by loss amount – 12,509 victims with over $203 million reported losses

But….BEC complaints from Jan. 2015 to May 2016 are soaring◦ Since Jan. 2015 - 1,300% increase in identified exposed losses◦ Victims found in all 50 states, reported in over 100 countries◦ Domestic and internationally, 22,143 victims with a total exposed

dollar loss over $3 billion

IC3.gov press release June 14, 2016 ◦ Alert Number I-061416-PSA complaints (multiple sources as of

05/2016) 22,143 wRom/otal exposed dollar


Money Mules are intermediaries used to transfer and launder stolen money or some kind of merchandise

Online Dating

Work from home scam

Who works as a mule?◦ Recruit college students, military spouses, elderly, previous

criminals

Mules are critical component of cyber frauds including BEC


Victim may be looking online for relationship

Scammers use profile info on dating sites to select and attract potential targets- recent widows, disabled, elderly (profile over 50)

Make use of profile information to construct false profile to be the ideal ‘soul mate’- mirror same interests, hobbies, ‘good honest person’ looking for love (often steal photos FB, models, military)

Scammer usually quickly maneuvers victim off dating site- to texts, and share intimate details about life, dreams photos, financial info

Scammer often claims to be or work outside the US, professing romantic interests, even marriage on cell phone

Often long term “investment” in the victim. Start small with requests for money, often to visit, victims deplete own funds, borrow $,but…….

Will be constant need for money- bad luck stories, various emergencies requiring payment, loans, promises of future together


Dr. Monica Whitty research- main victim psychological trait is ‘belief in true love’, ‘romantic destiny’

◦ Social isolation, depression, recent loss partner

Perpetrators may use chat rooms, dating sites to choose and groom potential victims – form of cyber domestic abuse.

Become money mules- open accounts/transfer money as money launderers, travel overseas

May involve ‘online’ sex or sharing images/extortion

Interventions difficult, care needed- may not identify as victim

Victims may report police inquiry to scammer

One time ‘interventions’ vs. its a process

Suicides have been documented


Olaninka Sunmola, of Nigeria pleaded guilty in March 2016 as ringleader, extradited to SD Illinois District

◦ One victim had been arrested and charged with theft by deception and forgery- innocent mule- contemplated suicide

◦ A victim applied credit cards- gave him cash advances -$98,000 debt- declared bankruptcy, others lost jobs, arrested as mules

◦ A victim induced to perform sex acts which he recorded and threatened to publish online unless she and family sent money

He told her that by the time he was done with her- she would want to kill herself, and pledged to ruin her life unless he was paid

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/nigerian-scammer-convicted-line-romance-fraud


Victims vulnerable at intervention – 1st 48 hours critical if $ sent ◦ Financial and mental health counseling Wise And Healthy Aging- ‘phone support group’ romance victims

◦ Safety planning, creditor/legal intervention Scams_LA materials (1st Responder /Checklist for victims)

What will you do if scammer tries to contact you again?

◦ Encourage victims to report… and notify Internet service provider, IC3.gov, FTC, local police

APS report? Banks, blocking Western Union, Money Gram, ID theft risk, Dr.

Police- “this is not a civil matter”, take the report, refer them to IC3/FTC.

◦ Intervention is a process- not one time- FOLLOW UP What will they ‘replace’ this behavior with?

Issues of mild cognitive decline, undue influence

Managing expectations

Identifying and supporting, working with family members

Locating resources- very difficult - ‘little safety net’


Newly formed- Los Angeles Collaboration

3 goals of the Working Group:◦ Identify victims (especially chronic/compliant elderly victims)◦ Importance of reporting, including to FTC and/or IC3.gov

◦ Enhance investigations◦ Increased federal and local collaboration in investigations

◦ Enhance interventions ◦ Developing phone support groups, creating a safety net

◦ Assistance to family members

◦ Use to discuss current case involving senior being scammed


“Do you have enough money to pay your rent or mortgage this month, or to buy food, or pay utilities”?


“He would have done better to have come in

the middle of the night and shot me in the head, than to leave me and my family with nothing- and too old to earn it back.”


“I see little difference between a man or woman who kills with a gun and a thief who steals from savings that were meant to keep the soul alive.”


safeguarding your future tips to help seniors avoid...

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