News Blog
Malware Targets Android Smartphones
Attention smartphone users: be on guard for various types of malware attacking Android operating systems.
Malware Targets Android Smartphones
- Loozfon: This information-stealing piece of malware has multiple forms, but one variant used by criminals shows up in the form of an advertisement for a work-at-home opportunity promising a lucrative payday just for sending out an e-mail. A link within the advertisement goes to a website that pushes Loozfon to the victim’s mobile device, where the malicious application then steals the number of the infected phone as well as contact details from the user’s address book.
- FinFisher: This spyware—which can easily be transmitted to a smartphone when the user visits a specific link or opens a text message masquerading as a system update—is able to take over the components of a mobile device. Once installed, the phone can be remotely controlled and targeted regardless of the location of the owner.
For more information, including safety tips to protect your smartphone, read the entire alert issued by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
North to Alaska
Take an inside look at our Anchorage Division—the FBI’s smallest field office—whose agents are responsible for covering the most territory of any office in the Bureau.
North to Alaska
Take an inside look at our Anchorage Division—the FBI’s smallest field office—whose agents are responsible for covering the most territory of any office in the Bureau. That’s an area of more than 600,000 square miles, twice the size of Texas and packed with natural beauty and hard-to-reach places.
Although the Anchorage Division investigates the same types of violent crime, public corruption, and national security matters as FBI offices in the Lower 48, “there is so much that is different here,” said Special Agent in Charge Mary Frances Rook—and she’s not just referring to the bears and moose occasionally spotted on downtown Anchorage streets.
Applications for FBI Volunteer Internships Now Being Accepted
Attention, students: If you’re interested in an exciting and challenging internship next summer with an intelligence-driven, threat-focused national security and law enforcement organization, the FBI ...
Applications for FBI Volunteer Internships Now Being Accepted
The volunteer internship program runs for 10 weeks, is open to students of all majors, and its participants come from all educational backgrounds and walks of life. Applications for next year’s program are currently being accepted (from October 1-22). The application process is extremely competitive—students must pass a background investigation, maintain a GPA of 3.0, and submit a transcript and a resume that demonstrates their experiences and success both in and out of the classroom.
Here’s what some interns had to say about their experiences in the summer of 2012:
“One of the great things about the Bureau is that every day I come to work, there has been something new, whether that be escorting a Chinese or Peruvian delegation and educating them on our investigative techniques, or visiting the Hostage Rescue Team and learning more about their operations. All of the interns came here because they wanted to make a difference, and I can say that upon leaving here, I feel that I have a higher responsibility to my community and that I will be trying to continue my career with the FBI.”
-Travis T., International Operations Division
“While I had many great days on the job during my internship, my favorite two experiences were sitting in on the assistant director’s morning briefing and giving presentations on terrorist financing to various Citizens’ Academies. Of course, I was only given these opportunities because of the support of my colleagues, supervisor, and unit chief, and their willingness to trust me with challenging tasks.”
-Andrew F., Counterterrorism Division
“During my internship, everyone treated me like part of the team, and I was able to see everything that the FBI employees saw and perform many of the tasks that an employee routinely performed. My experience left me this summer feeling well prepared to continue to contribute to the various missions of the U.S. government.”
-Ben T., Counterterrorism Division
“Working with the Benefits Unit of the Human Resources Division has been a great learning experience because I have become familiar with all of the special programs that the FBI has to offer for its 35,000 employees. I have been able to meet a large assortment of people who have allowed me to see the wider perspective of the Bureau as well as develop lifelong friendships with other interns and full time employees alike.”
–Nicole W., Human Resources Division
Go to our FBI internship webpage for more information and to apply for next year’s internships.
Distressed Homeowner Initiative
Today, to help protect distressed homeowners around the country from a rising tide of fraud schemes—and to raise awareness about them—the FBI joined its partners in announcing the results of the ...
Distressed Homeowner Initiative
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| FBI Associate Deputy Director Kevin Perkins, right, is joined by Attorney General Eric Holder at a press conference announcing the results of the yearlong Distressed Homeowner Initiative. |
Today, to help protect distressed homeowners around the country from a rising tide of fraud schemes—and to raise awareness about them—the FBI joined the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Trade Commission in announcing the results of the Distressed Homeowner Initiative.
This initiative combines the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and the efforts of regulatory agencies to target perpetrators both criminally and civilly. Since the initiative was launched a year ago, over 200 companies have been shut down, and criminal charges were filed against 530 defendants. These cases involved losses of more than $1 billion from more than 73,000 victims across the country.
Laser Pointer Attacks Taking Off: Pose Serious Threat to Aviation Security
The number of laser attacks on aircraft in the U.S. is on the rise. Incidents are projected to reach 3,700 this year—compared to just 283 in 2005. That’s a rise of more than 1,100 percent. And that ...
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| Lasers directed at aircraft can disorient and temporarily blind pilots. |
Laser Pointer Attacks Taking Off: Pose Serious Threat to Aviation Security
If you’ve ever thought about pointing a hand-held laser at an aircraft of any kind, think again. It’s highly dangerous and a federal crime.
The number of laser attacks in the U.S. is on the rise. Incidents are projected to reach 3,700 this year—compared to just 283 in 2005. That’s a rise of more than 1,100 percent. And that doesn’t include the thousands of attacks that go unreported every year.
George Johnson, a supervisory federal air marshal who is a liaison officer with the FBI, says the number of attacks is almost reaching an “epidemic level.”
| An aircraft pilot reports a laser pointer and helps direct police to the scene to make an arrest. |
In recent years, technology has improved the performance and power of handheld lasers; the Internet has also made these gadgets cheaper and easier to purchase.
These incidents are dangerous to pilots in the cockpit, passengers aboard the plane, and people on the ground. Captain Robert Hamilton of the Air Line Pilots Association, International was landing a plane when he was struck by a laser light. “I had temporary blindness. My eyes were burning. It caused disorientation, and it was distracting,” he says.
To combat the threat, the FBI last year established a Laser Strike Working Group National Initiative, which includes law enforcement partners and private entity stakeholders. The idea came from the FBI’s Sacramento Division, which created the first Laser Strike Working Group in 2008 to reduce incidents in the area. It worked—the number of attacks against commercial aircraft arriving and departing from the Sacramento International Airport decreased 75 percent.
Those who aim a laser pointer at an aircraft can be prosecuted under two federal statutes. A law put into effect this year makes pointing a laser at an aircraft a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $11,000 per violation. Under a law already on the books, those who interfere with the operation of an aircraft can receive up to 20 years in prison and be fined $250,000.
“Use a laser pointer for what it’s made for. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is dangerous and reckless. Just don’t do it,” says Johnson.
To report a laser attack, dial 911. You can also e-mail the Federal Aviation Administration at laserreports@FAA.gov or contact your nearest FBI field office.
National Takedown Targets Medicare Criminals
Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities have led to charges against 91 people—including doctors, nurses, and other licensed professionals—for their alleged participation in Medicare ...
National Takedown Targets Medicare Criminals
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| FBI Associate Deputy Director Kevin Perkins speaks at a press conference in Washington, D.C. |
Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities have led to charges against 91 people—including doctors, nurses, and other licensed professionals—for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving $429.2 million in false billing. FBI Associate Deputy Director Kevin Perkins joined Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other government officials at a Washington, D.C. press conference announcing the takedown.
The largest number of defendants were charged in Miami—a total of 33 for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving a total of $204.5 million in false billings for home health care, mental health services, occupational and physical therapy, and durable medical equipment. Other defendants were charged in Los Angeles (16), Brooklyn (15), Dallas (14), Baton Rouge (4), and Chicago (2).
According to court documents, defendants were charged in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided. In many cases, patient recruiters, Medicare beneficiaries, and others were allegedly paid kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to the providers who submitted the fraudulent claims.
Perkins, who called the strike force’s partnerships “a critical piece of our strategy” to “protect the integrity of Medicare and the health care system at large,” also offered steps that the public—especially Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and their family members—can take to help prevent fraud:
- Beware of suspicious activity, including marketers offering money, gifts, or free services to patients;
- Review explanation of benefits forms sent by your insurance company (and contact your company immediately if you see any suspect billings);
- Protect your insurance card information the same way you would protect your credit card information;
- Report any suspicious activity to your local FBI office or HHS’ Office of Inspector General.
Press Release l Attorney General Remarks l Assistant Attorney General Remarks l Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT)
Russian Agent, 10 Others Indicted for Exports to Russian Military
Russian Agent and 10 Others Indicted for Exports to Russian Military
An indictment unsealed in New York yesterday charges 11 members of a Russian military procurement network with illegally exporting high-tech microelectronics from the United States to Russian military and intelligence agencies.
Alexander Fishenko, an owner and executive of companies that operate in the U.S. and Russia is also charged with operating as an unregistered agent of the Russian government inside the U.S. by illegally procuring the high-tech microelectronics on behalf of the Russian government.
According to the court documents, the defendants went to great lengths to conceal their procurement activities for the Russian military. The microelectronics included analog-to-digital converters, static random access memory chips, microcontrollers, and microprocessors. These commodities have applications and are frequently used in a wide range of military systems, including radar and surveillance systems, missile guidance systems, and detonation triggers.
“In this day and time, the ability of foreign countries to illegally acquire sensitive and sophisticated U.S. technology poses a significant threat to both the economic and national security of our nation,” said Houston FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris. “While some countries may leverage our technology for financial gain, many countries hostile to the United States seek to improve their defense capabilities and to modernize their weapons systems at the expense of U.S. taxpayers. The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our partners in the U.S. Intelligence Community to protect this technology and hold accountable those companies that willfully choose to violate our U.S. export laws.”
Help Us Catch a Terrorist
The FBI today announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ahmad Abousamra, a U.S. citizen from Massachusetts charged with traveling to Pakistan and Yemen to seek ...
Help Us Catch a Terrorist
The FBI today announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ahmad Abousamra, a U.S. citizen from Massachusetts charged with traveling to Pakistan and Yemen to seek military training so he could kill American soldiers.
Deputy Director Focuses on Collaboration at IACP Conference
FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce, speaking on October 1 before the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual meeting in San Diego, told the assembled group that all in law enforcement ...
Deputy Director Focuses on Collaboration at IACP Conference
Deputy Director Sean Joyce, speaking on October 1 before the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual meeting in San Diego, told the assembled group that all in law enforcement share the same mission to “keep our citizens safe,” but we must continue to work together and share information in order to succeed. He said that while the FBI is already working together with its law enforcement partners on many fronts, he’d like to use this week’s conference to “make progress in areas of mutual concern”—airing issues that may be hampering efforts to do more together, identifying ways to resolve these issues, and developing and moving forward with ideas about other areas of collaboration. Joyce then highlighted three specific areas law enforcement can work on to improve collaboration—leveraging technology, increasing and improving training, and protecting personnel.
Living a Lie
For 22 years, John Doe assumed the identity of a man whose wallet was stolen from his car in 1989.
Living a Lie
That’s because the man—now imprisoned and officially known as John Doe—had a stack of government-issued identification acquired during the 22 years he had been using a living victim’s identity. That included a passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, Social Security card, and identification allowing him unescorted access to a port and military installation. And it all started back in 1989, when the victim’s car was broken into and his wallet was stolen.
