Showing posts with label fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fraud. Show all posts

Department of Justice obtains partial restitution for Shoreline homeowner scammed by Irish nationals

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Photo by Alexander Grey on unsplash.com
Two individuals from Ireland pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their theft of more than $400,000 from a Shoreline, Washington, homeowner, and other victims across the country. 

Patrick McDonagh and Matthew McDonagh were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in mid-June and were charged federally in mid-July. 

They are scheduled for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on November 25, 2024.

According to records filed in the case, the brothers were part of a group that traveled the country scamming homeowners – especially the elderly – by falsely representing a home needed urgent repairs. One older homeowner in the Shoreline neighborhood north of Seattle, lost about $435,000 to the scheme.

The men first approached the victim in January 2024, claimed they were working in the neighborhood and had noticed that the victim had a hole in his roof. 

The men offered to fix the hole and remove the moss from the roof. Over the course of a few days, they pressured the victim to write them checks for their “services” of $15,000, $20,000, and $26,000. They also claimed that the victim’s foundation was cracked, and they said they would repair that with a “titanium tie rod system.”

The roof had no hole, and the foundation was not failing. However, the men dug trenches and poured some concrete to make it appear work was done, and each day they pressured the victim to write more checks. They even demanded an extra $20,000 for “taxes.” 

Ultimately, they demanded the victim wire $200,000 to a third party for building supplies – again far in excess of any work they claimed to have done. In all the brothers stole $435,000 from the victim. 

Quick work by a Shoreline Detective and the King County Prosecutor’s Office resulted in the recovery of some of the wired funds.

The FBI investigation connected the brothers to contractor fraud complaints in Oregon and Illinois. 

In Oregon, Patrick McDonagh represented to three different victims that he was affiliated with a local legitimate construction firm, when in fact he was not. Those homeowners paid as much as $29,000 for foundation work that was never completed as promised. 

In Illinois, Matthew McDonagh claimed he would repave a victim’s driveway and rebuild a retaining wall for $99,000. After the victim paid $75,000, the work was poorly done and damaged the victim’s house. The value of any work done was significantly less than what was paid.

The defendants have agreed to make restitution to the victims in the case. This includes $235,000 to the Shoreline victim, nearly $50,000 to the three victims in Oregon, $75,000 to a victim in Illinois, and more than $673,000 to a victim in Bellevue, Washington.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend 26 months in prison for each defendant. Judge Chun is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

The FBI is investigating this case and was assisted by the Shoreline Police Department, and the U.S. Border Patrol’s Blaine and Spokane Sector’s Anti-Smuggling Units (ASU).

The FBI reminds the public of red flags for contractor fraud: The contractor knocks on your door looking for business because they are “in the area” and uses aggressive sales tactics. The contractor pressures you for an immediate hiring decision. The contractor accepts only cash as payment and demands full payment before starting any work. In the sales pitch, the contractor claims to have materials left over from a previous job.

Tips to avoid contractor fraud: Always get multiple estimates for any work you want done. Ensure contractors are licensed and insured. Look them up at Washington State’s Department of Labor & Industries website* Check with consumer protection agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission to search for complaints against a contractor.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar. Ms. Staniar serves as the Criminal Elder Fraud Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.

To learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page.

*At time of publication, the website was not responding. 
L&I listed these numbers for Contractor information 1-800-647-0982 OR 360-902-5226 (Option 2)


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Scam and Fraud Prevention workshop for Seniors at the Senior Activity Center

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Join us at the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center for an in-person cyber security training by F5 experts! 

With over 60 years of combined IT experience, our presenters will share practical advice on spotting and avoiding scams online. 

The presentation will focus on email scams, phone scams, fraudulent online shopping websites, keeping your passwords safe, and more!

F5 is a global leader in cyber security, which protects some of the world’s largest banks, Internet Service Providers, and government entities. Join us for this two hour presentation followed by the opportunity to ask our F5 experts any questions you have about cyber security.


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Study shows pop culture passwords mostly likely to get you hacked

Friday, June 21, 2024

Is your password “Superman” or “Blink-182”? Millions are using these pop-culture favorites, making them easy targets for hackers. 

Discover the most common leaked passwords in 2024 and learn how to create a super-secure one to protect your data.

With the sheer number of online accounts people must manage these days, it’s natural to resort to using names of our favorite sports teams, superheroes or actors for our passwords.

A recent study published on Hackread.com compiled a list of more than 2,500 pop culture terms (including 60,000+ variations) to identify the most hackable ones. 

See if any of your passwords are on the list, and learn how to create strong, more secure passwords to protect your data.


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Sheriff's office warns of scammers

Thursday, May 23, 2024

The King County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call you to tell you that you have a warrant.

Recent calls have allegedly come from the Sheriff’s Department saying there is a warrant out for your arrest for not showing up for Jury Duty. 

Another tactic is that they say they are a sheriff’s deputy working in association with the Social Security Office, or they are calling about nonpayment of back taxes. 

Ultimately, they will ask you to pay a "fine" in the form of gift cards or credit cards and ask you to read off the numbers. In some of these cases, the caller ID has been manipulated to show a valid KCSO phone number.
 
These are all scams, and you should hang up immediately! 

If you fall victim to this scam, please contact the King County Sheriff's Office Communications Center at 206-296-3311.


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WSDOT: Scammers are impersonating Good To Go!

Thursday, April 25, 2024


From WSDOT

We recently received reports from both customers and non-customers, of fraudulent emails and texts claiming to be Good To Go! advising customers of past due bills and providing a link to pay, or claiming to be from a collections agency working on behalf of Good To Go!.

These messages were not sent by Good To Go! and customers should not click on the links in the email or open any attachments.

We would like to reassure you that under no circumstances do we disclose individual customer information for use by marketing firms. All Good To Go! customer information, including name, address and payment information, is kept confidential and private, and is protected by law.

We would never ask you to pay on any website other than www.MyGoodToGo.com. If you are questioning if any messages you receive are real you can always log into your account to check, or call customer service to verify. Any message Good To Go! would send you via email or text will also be visible on your account.

Similar fraudulent emails and texts are being sent to customers of several toll agencies and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is investigating multiple complaints throughout the country. 

If you receive one of the fraudulent emails or texts you should file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov and be sure to include the phone number or email address from where the message was sent, and the website listed in the text of the message. Then delete the email or text.

Although Good To Go! did not send these emails, please know we regret any inconvenience or concern it may have caused you.


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Secretary Hobbs warns Washington voters to be alert for deepfakes

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs
OLYMPIA — After news reports that registered voters in New Hampshire have received fake phone calls simulating President Joe Biden speaking negatively about the Presidential Primary, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs warned Washington voters that deepfakes are an ongoing threat to elections and the voting public.

In a recording posted by NBC News, the faked Biden voice implores voters to “save your vote for the November election” rather than participating in Tuesday’s state Presidential Primary.

Washington state legislation requested and supported by Secretary Hobbs in 2023 prohibited deepfake advertising by political campaigns within Washington and empowered candidates targeted by faked statements to sue for damages.

“We have several high-interest elections this year, which creates a target-rich environment for these bad actors to subject voters to deepfakes and other misinformation,” Secretary Hobbs said. 
“I am grateful that the Legislature supported my bill to get ahead of this situation, and helped us enact a law that every state ought to emulate.

“The disturbing situation we’ve seen in New Hampshire’s campaign is just the tip of the iceberg for 2024,” Hobbs continued. 
“These false messages will get more polished and harder to tell from real ones. Voters must remain vigilant and skeptical, and turn to trusted information sources to verify things that just don’t seem right.” 

Washington’s Presidential Primary will be held March 12, 2024

Statewide offices will be on the ballot in the August 6 Primary, and decisions on the presidency and state offices will go before voters in the November 5 General Election ballot. 

Washington’s deepfakes law, found in RCW 42.62 and created by Secretary Hobbs’ requested Senate Bill 5152 in 2023, was one of America’s first restrictions on the use of synthetic media in political campaigning, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures

Under it, political campaigns must disclose when using falsely generated or manipulated video, images, or audio. A failure to disclose creates a potential civil liability.

“As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, we as state leaders have a responsibility to make sure our laws evolve as well to protect the public,” Secretary Hobbs said. 
“I will continue to work with the Legislature to keep Washington ahead of threats to the integrity of our elections.”


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FBI warns about financially motivated sextortion targeting minors and young adults

Saturday, January 20, 2024

The FBI this week issued a new warning about an evolving online threat targeting minors and young adults: financially motivated sextortion.

In these schemes, predators typically pretend to be alluring young girls to befriend teen boys — often on social media and gaming platforms. 

The predators then trick these teens into exchanging sexually explicit material or believing the predators have already obtained it.

Once the scammers have a victim's pictures or video, they demand money to keep the explicit material from being shared with the victim’s family and friends. Even when victims comply, scammers often demand more money and escalate the threats.

The FBI saw a 20% increase in reports of financially motivated sextortion incidents targeting minors during a six-month period that ended in March 2023, compared to the previous year. 

The scam is the latest iteration of sextortion, which has historically been driven by sexual gratification and control, but is now mostly motivated by greed. Minors and young adults caught in this trap often feel isolated, embarrassed, and cornered with seemingly no way out. In some cases, victims have turned to self-harm and suicide.

The FBI is urging parents, educators, caregivers, teens, and young adults to fully understand the dangers of financially motivated sextortion and to know there are options for those who need help.

"The consequences of sextortion are being felt across the country," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "We and our partners will relentlessly pursue criminals who perpetuate this deplorable activity."

Anyone being exploited in a sextortion scheme should do the following:
  • Understand you are not at fault and you are not alone
  • Ask for help from a trusted adult or law enforcement before sending money or more images. Cooperating with the predator rarely stops the blackmail and harassment—but law enforcement can
  • Report the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature
  • Block the predator from contacting you
  • Report the scheme immediately to the FBI or local law enforcement
  • Save all interactions; those can help law enforcement identify and stop the predator

If sexually explicit images have been shared, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Take it Down tool or Is Your Content Out There? for potential removal


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Nigerian citizen pleads guilty for defrauding Washington state

Friday, December 22, 2023

Tacoma – One of two Nigerian citizens who resided in Canada, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for defrauding pandemic unemployment benefit programs in multiple states, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. 

Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, as he traveled back to Canada from Nigeria. Ambali was detained in Germany and was extradited to the U.S. last August. Prosecutors will recommend a sentence of five years in prison when Ambali is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on March 14, 2024.

In his plea agreement Ambali admits he and codefendant Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, used the stolen identities of thousands of workers to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State

In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits. 

When state unemployment security became aware of the scam, they shut down all claim applications while they worked to verify the ones they had and scrutinize new claims. This meant that many Washington residents were left with no financial resources.

As part of his plea agreement Ambali has agreed to make restitution of $1,035,107.

The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, Washington and some 19 other states. 

Using 13 Google accounts, they filed some 900 claims. The co-conspirators also allegedly established four internet domain names that they then used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used for fraud. Between March 2020 and December 2021, Ambali admits he personally submitted at least 620 claims for unemployment benefits that paid more than $1 million.

Additionally, between 2018 and 2021, Ambali used stolen personal information of eight U.S. citizens to try to claim tax refunds totaling more than $40,000. The IRS caught most of the fraud.

Ambali also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA caught most of the fraud and paid only $2,500.

Ambali and his co-conspirators had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.

Lawal was arrested in Canada in February and is pending extradition.

The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is assisting.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.


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Bank manager in Battle Ground WA stole $1.2 million from unsuspecting customers

Friday, October 13, 2023

Battle Ground is in Clark County near the Columbia River
Google maps
Tacoma –A 44-year-old former bank manager from Battle Ground, Clark County, Washington, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. 

Brian Davie, a former branch manager at Wells Fargo, used unauthorized cash withdrawals, money transfers, and cashier’s checks to steal over $1 million. 

Davie targeted elderly and vulnerable customers. Eight victims have been identified. One woman had more than $566,000 stolen from her retirement accounts. Davie is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on January 2, 2024.

Davie worked for Wells Fargo in Battle Ground from March of 2014 until he was fired in June 2019. 

According to records in the case, Davie used his position as a manager at the branch to conduct unauthorized transactions. Davie had access to customer files containing information about bank account balances. 

Davie hid his criminal activity by repeatedly exchanging cashier’s checks until they were small enough to cash without triggering banking reporting requirements.

Davie continued undetected because he stole from elderly customers who might be less likely to closely monitor their account balances. Some of Davie’s victims had dementia or had limited English skills and did not understand banking transactions. 

In at least one case, Davie failed to file the paperwork to install a victim’s relative as a co-signer on the victim’s accounts. That failure prevented the relative from being able to monitor the account and detect the fraudulent transactions.

Davie deposited some of the stolen money in an account he created in the name of a relative’s business. He made some of the cashier’s checks payable to that relative or to the business account he created. Much of the money was withdrawn as cash.

In all Davie embezzled S1,279,840 from victim accounts. Wells Fargo reimbursed victims for their losses. Judge Settle will determine the amount of restitution at sentencing.

Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a four-year prison sentence. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Settle who will consider a number of statutory factors before determining the appropriate sentence.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Wells Fargo investigation team. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon


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Nigerian citizen extradited from Germany to face charges over attempt to steal $25 million in U.S. benefits

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Seattle – One of two Nigerian citizens residing in Canada, who allegedly defrauded the pandemic unemployment benefit programs in multiple states, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday August 18, 2023. 

Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, as he traveled back to Canada from Nigeria. Ambali had been detained in Germany pending extradition. 

Ambali and codefendant Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, are accused of using the stolen identities of thousands of Americans to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State.

According to the indictment, Lawal and Ambali used the stolen personal information of thousands of U.S. taxpayers and residents to file fraudulent claims for COVID-19 pandemic assistance and false tax returns seeking refunds. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.4 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits.

The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to more than 25 states including New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, and Washington. Using 13 Google accounts they filed some 900 claims. The co-conspirators also allegedly established four internet domain names that they then used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used for fraud.

Lawal and Ambali allegedly filed over 2,300 fraudulent income tax returns seeking over $7.1 million in tax refunds. The IRS caught most of the fraud and paid only about $30,000 in fraudulent refunds.

The co-conspirators also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration.

According to the indictment, the co-conspirators had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.

Lawal and Ambali are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.

Lawal remains in Canada, pending extradition.

The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). 

Also contributing to the investigation were Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is assisting.


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Protecting the privacy of health information: A baker’s dozen takeaways from FTC cases

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

By Elisa Jillson, 
Federal Trade Commission
Bureau of Consumer Protection

In the past few months, the FTC has announced case after case involving consumers’ sensitive health data, alleging violations of both Section 5 of the FTC Act and the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule. 

The privacy of health information is top of mind for consumers – and so it’s top of mind for the FTC. 

Companies collecting or using health data, listen up. There are a number of key messages from BetterHelp, GoodRx, Premom, Vitagene, and other FTC matters that you need to hear.




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AG Ferguson wins up to $695,000 in refunds for Washingtonians harmed by lingerie company’s deceptive subscriptions practices

Monday, June 19, 2023

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today a national online apparel company will return as much as $695,000 to approximately 5,700 Washingtonians it deceptively enrolled into a monthly subscription service.

From 2012 through 2017, Adore Me, a national company that sells lingerie and other women’s clothes online, placed a pre-checked box on all its online orders that enrolled Washingtonians into a monthly “VIP Membership.” 

Individuals who did not notice the pre-checked box, especially those who made a one-time purchase, may not have known that the company automatically enrolled them into a membership program that charged them monthly fees.

The company continued to charge many individuals $39.95 per month for the “VIP Membership,” which it put into their accounts to use for future purchases. 

However, many Washingtonians did not know this money went into an account and accrued during the course of many months. 

If individuals asked for their money back, Adore Me made it difficult to receive any money back. Ferguson asserted Adore Me’s conduct violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act and constituted unfair or deceptive business practices.

“Deceiving Washingtonians into subscriptions they don’t want cheats the consumer and hurts other businesses that play by the rules,” Ferguson said. “I am committed to ending these schemes. If this happened to you, contact my office so we can help.”

A court order filed in Thurston County Superior Court requires Adore Me to pay restitution to Washingtonians who accumulated monthly fees in their accounts and want that credit back as cash. 

Washingtonians can either opt for a cash payout or use the money to purchase apparel from the retailer. 

The Attorney General’s Office will contact Washington consumers who may be eligible for restitution via email. As part of the conditions of the legally enforceable order, Adore Me must:
  • Clearly and conspicuously disclose all fees, costs, conditions, limitations and restrictions applicable to the VIP Membership program so consumers can make an informed decision for enrollment;
  • Promptly honor consumer cancellation requests;
  • Abandon all practices requiring a consumer to complete an online quiz or survey in order to cancel their VIP Membership program, and not make more than one attempt to keep them enrolled once a consumer has indicated an intent to cancel; and
  • Cease the billing of recurring charges to any consumers enrolled in the VIP Membership program who have accumulated 12 months of store credit via recurring charges.

Adore Me still offers this VIP Membership but it now has greater transparency for the terms of the program, following a 2017 resolution with the Federal Trade Commission. 

The commission asserted the company made it hard to cancel memberships, including by limiting how consumers could submit cancellation requests, understaffing its customer service department and putting consumers through drawn-out cancellation processes.

In January, national apparel retailer Victoria’s Secret took ownership of Adore Me.

More information here

The Attorney General’s Office responds to every consumer complaint. It fields approximately 24,000 complaints annually, and returns tens of millions of dollars per year to consumers through its informal complaint resolution process, which involves working with businesses to resolve consumer complaints pre-investigation or litigation.

Washingtonians can file a complaint here


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Team from Western Washington honored for investigation and prosecution of major cybercrime group Fin7

Thursday, June 8, 2023


Russia and Ukraine based hacking organization caused billions in losses


Seattle – The Department of Justice investigative team, in a major cybercrime case which was pursued in the Western District of Washington, was honored with an Executive Office of U.S. Attorney’s Director’s award for Outstanding Litigative Team, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 

The prosecutors, paralegals, and cyber investigators from the FBI broke up the hacking group Fin7. The award was presented in Washington DC.

“Investigating and prosecuting cybercrime is uniquely challenging –the offenders hide behind keyboards, often overseas, but can do untold billions of dollars in damage,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. 
“With Fin7, the tireless work by our team saw three of the defendants arrested and brought to the United States to face charges. All three have been held accountable with significant prison sentences. Fin7 as an entity is no more.”

Those recognized today with the Director’s Award include: 
  • Former Assistant United States Attorneys Frances Franze-Nakamura and Steven Masada, and DOJ Trial Attorney Anthony Teelucksingh for their work prosecuting the case; 
  • Paralegals Anna Chang and Salee Porter for their critical work organizing records and discovery from companies, foreign governments, and law enforcement so that we could successfully petition for the extradition of the three defendants who were arrested while traveling in Germany, Spain, and Thailand; and 
  • FBI special agents Briana Neumiller and Stacy Muldoon, 
  • FBI computer scientist Waymon Ho, 
  • FBI operations specialist Zacharey Hansen, and 
  • FBI linguist Inna Dodge 
who all performed outstanding investigative and analytic work that was critical to the successful prosecution.

According to records filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, between 2015 and 2018, FIN7 members engaged in a highly sophisticated malware campaign to attack more than 100 U.S. companies, predominantly in the restaurant, gaming, and hospitality industries. 

FIN7 hacked into thousands of computer systems and stole millions of customer credit and debit card numbers which were used or sold for profit.

In the United States alone, FIN7 successfully breached the computer networks of businesses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, stealing more than 15 million customer card records from over 6,500 individual point-of-sale terminals at more than 3,600 separate business locations. 

Additional intrusions occurred abroad, including in the United Kingdom, Australia, and France. Companies that have publicly disclosed hacks attributable to FIN7 include such familiar chains as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chili’s, Arby’s, Red Robin and Jason’s Deli.


The Director’s Awards are awarded annually by the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys to recognize outstanding work by U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the United States.


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Office of the State Treasurer, Compass Housing Alliance offer financial education workshop for veterans TODAY

Wednesday, May 31, 2023


SHORELINE, WA – The Office of the State Treasurer (OST) and the Compass Housing Alliance are partnering to provide a free ID Theft and Prevention Workshop at the Shoreline Veterans Center on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

The ID Theft and Prevention Workshop is a part of the Financial Foundations Workshop series provided by the Office of the State Treasurer, which is for adults looking to develop new skills in managing personal finances.

Compass Housing Alliance offers a variety of programs and housing that meet the specific needs of military Veterans and their families. Shree Vigil, the Program Manager of the Compass Veterans Center in Shoreline, connects local Veterans in need of housing with the resources and tools they need to achieve stability, growth, and community engagement goals.

“This will be the first time partnering with the Office of the State Treasurer, and we’re excited to offer this workshop as an additional opportunity for Shoreline area Veterans,” said Vigil.

In addition to managing public finances for the state, OST focuses on financial education as a part of its services to the public.

OST Financial Education Coordinator John McKenney regularly conducts workshops with the help of community partnerships like this one. He has experience working across the state as a facilitator for both in person and online financial wellness workshops to help financially empower Washingtonians.

"Financial education can be an invaluable tool for anyone in Washington thinking about their next steps and long-term personal finances,” said McKenney. 
“We’re honored to partner with the Compass Housing Alliance and Shoreline Veterans Center to provide this development opportunity for Veterans of our military,” he said.

Registration is not required to attend the upcoming workshop at the Shoreline Veterans Center, located at 1301 N 200th St, Shoreline, WA 98133. All Veterans are welcome to attend.

Contact John McKenney with questions about the Financial Foundations Workshops at john.mckenney@tre.wa.gov.



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Shoreline Community College notifies their community of exposure after ransomware attack

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Shoreline Community College Library
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

On Friday, April 18, 2023, Shoreline Community College announced that it is notifying individuals whose information may have been involved in a recent cybersecurity incident.

On March 20, 2023, Shoreline Community College experienced a ransomware incident that affected its computer systems. 

Upon discovering this, the College promptly took action to secure the network, commenced an investigation, and a third-party cybersecurity firm was engaged to assist. 

The College began working with its in-house technical team, outside legal counsel, and the cybersecurity firm to determine what happened, the scope of data that was potentially accessed, and what steps can be taken to further protect its data.

During the course of the investigation, the College learned that some data was accessed by an unauthorized third party between February 27, 2023, and March 20, 2023. 

On April 5, 2023, the College confirmed that the documents involved contained certain information relating to some of our students, staff, and faculty, including their names and one or more of the following data elements: Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, financial account numbers, and/or attestations regarding COVID-19 test results.

While the College has no indication that any of this information has been misused, the College is notifying individuals whose information was potentially involved in this incident.

The College advises its students, staff, and faculty to remain vigilant for signs of unauthorized activity by reviewing their credit reports and financial account statements. 

If they see charges or activity they did not authorize, the College suggests they contact their financial institution immediately. The College is in the process of providing notice of this incident to individuals whose information may have been involved and is offering them a complimentary membership to Experian® IdentityWorks℠ Credit 3B credit monitoring service.

To help prevent something like this from happening in the future, the College is taking steps to enhance its existing network security including implementing multiple layers of protective measures and enhancing staff training related to handling of sensitive data.

The College takes seriously the security and privacy of the personal information entrusted to the College and regrets the inconvenience or concern this incident may cause its community. Additional information is available at the College website, https://www.shoreline.edu/about-shoreline/notice-of-data-breach.aspx or by calling (866) 347-9967, Monday through Friday, from 7:30am to 5:00pm Pacific Time.


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AG Ferguson, Rep. Leavitt bill providing accountability for illegal robocalls passes legislature

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

OLYMPIA — On April 5, 2023, the Legislature passed a bill Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered with Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, to help combat illegal robocalls.

Washington’s current anti-robocalling law is weak and out-of-date. 

The bill will modernize state laws by:Mirroring federal law to prohibit solicitations to people on the Do Not Call Registry, and providing the Attorney General’s Office authority to enforce this prohibition in state court;
  • Making it illegal to deliberately falsify a caller ID display to disguise a caller’s identity; and
  • Creating accountability for voice service providers by making it a violation to knowingly facilitate illegal robocall solicitations. 
Voice providers are in a unique position to stop the flow of robocalls because they know the origin, frequency and the duration of calls on their service. This new law creates an incentive for providers to be a partner in blocking illegal robocalls. 

For example, a voice provider that has an overseas customer making millions of short duration calls a day into the United States, using caller IDs with area codes that match the called number, are clear indications of illegal robocalls. 

In addition, when a consumer (or a screening service) receives a known illegal robocall, that call can be traced backed to the originating provider. At which point, the provider has received actual knowledge that the content of the call is a scam, and that its customer is a scammer.

This law makes providers accountable so that they stop doing business with known bad actors, and so that they implement robocall mitigation measures to monitor for bad actors and stop those robocalls.

The bill, House Bill 1051, passed the Senate with a unanimous 48-0 vote. With a unanimous 96-0 vote in late February, the state House also passed the bill. It will now head to Gov. Inslee for his signature.

The legislation is part of Attorney General Ferguson’s anti-robocalling initiative to combat fraudulent, harassing and illegal robocalls.


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AG Ferguson wins $35 million and counting for Washingtonians from co-conspirators in chicken price-fixing case

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the recovery of $35 million and counting as a result of his lawsuit over price-fixing on chicken products. 

Fourteen of the 19 chicken producers named in the lawsuit paid $35 million to resolve claims against them. Ferguson’s office is working on a plan to distribute recoveries from this lawsuit to assist impacted Washingtonians.

Ferguson filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court in October 2021. A trial against the remaining co-conspirators is scheduled for October 2024.

The conspiracy harmed an estimated 90 percent of Washingtonians, or approximately seven million individuals. Broiler chickens are used for everything from chicken breasts consumers purchase at the grocery store, to chicken nuggets and chicken sandwiches individuals buy at fast food restaurants. Consequently, the scheme impacted virtually everyone who consumes chicken products.

“If you bought chicken in the last several years, you paid more for that chicken than you should have because of the illegal conduct from these companies,” Ferguson said. 
“This is yet another milestone in our case against the companies involved in this conspiracy — but we are not done. They drove up the price of chicken and cheated hardworking Washingtonians. Antitrust laws protect consumers when company executives conspire to rig the system. I will hold all of the conspirators accountable.”

The Attorney General’s Office asserts all 19 chicken producers drove up the price of chicken since at least 2008, causing consumers to overpay by millions of dollars. The lawsuit asserts a widespread illegal conspiracy to inflate and manipulate prices, rig contract bids, illegally exchange information and coordinate industry supply reductions to maximize profits.

Two other states, Alaska and New Mexico, filed similar antitrust cases against national chicken producers. Washington is the first state to hold chicken production companies accountable for their roles in the price-fixing conspiracy.

The resolutions involve three of the country’s four largest chicken producers — Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride. In reaching these settlements, the Attorney General's Office considered all of the evidence in the case, including the defendants' liability, sales in Washington and the monetary harm caused by the conspiracy.

More information here


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Alleged French cybercriminal to appear in Seattle on indictment for conspiracy, computer intrusion, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft

Friday, January 27, 2023

A member of the so-called “ShinyHunters Group,” the defendant was arrested in Morocco and extradited to the U.S.


Seattle – A 21-year-old French citizen from Epinal, France, will appear tomorrow January 27, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Seattle on a nine-count indictment alleging conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 

Sebastien Raoult aka Sezyo Kaizen, was arrested last year in Morocco and was extradited to the U.S. this week. Raoult and two co-conspirators were indicted by a grand jury sitting in the Western District of Washington on June 23, 2021. Raoult’s initial appearance will be at 2:00 PM in front of Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson.

“Too many bad actors believe they can illegally access proprietary information and personal financial information by hiding behind a keyboard,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 
“FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force and our experienced cyber unit is working diligently to identify, arrest, and prosecute those who seek to victimize people, businesses,and industries in the Western District of Washington and around the world.”

According to the indictment, Raoult was a participant in a hacking group that dubbed itself the “ShinyHunters.” The conspirators allegedly hacked into protected computers of corporate entities for the theft of proprietary and corporate information. The group advertised sensitive stolen data for sale and sometimes threatened to leak or sell stolen sensitive files if the victim did not pay a ransom. Since early 2020, ShinyHunters Group has marketed and promoted data stolen from more than 60 companies in Washington State and elsewhere around the world.

According to the indictment, the conspirators created websites that appeared to be login pages belonging to legitimate businesses. The conspirators allegedly sent phishing emails to company employees that were designed to look like they came from legitimate businesses and contained links to those login pages. When victims provided their account sign-on credentials on those login pages, the conspirators obtained the victims’ credentials. Using the stolen credentials, the conspirators allegedly accessed protected computers with companies’ data.

The ShinyHunters maintained accounts on various dark web sites where they advertised stolen data for sale, including customer databases with personal and financial information. The conspirators also used social media accounts to direct potential buyers to the dark web marketplaces to purchase stolen data. Sometimes the conspirators alerted the media to their hacking or posted images on a victim website claiming credit for hacking the company.

Some of the victims of the ShinyHunters hacking were located in the Western District of Washington but others were located around the world. The victims range from tech companies, to an international stock trading company, to an apparel company, and a nutrition and fitness company. Millions of customer records were included in the stolen data.

In addition to the conspiracy counts, the wire fraud counts correspond to particular malicious emails to entities in the State of Washington and other transmissions involving the State of Washington. The three identity theft counts are for the use of other people’s log-in credentials to access victim company data.

In addition to Raoult, the indictment charges 23-year-old Gabriel Kimiaie-Asadi Bildstein aka “Kuroi” and “Gnostic Players,” of Tarbes, France, and 22-year-old Abdel-Hakim El Ahmadi aka “Zac” and “Jordan Keso” of Lyon, France.

The conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse charge is punishable by a maximum of ten years in prison. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 27 years in prison. Wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year prison term to follow any other prison sentence imposed in the case.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs is providing substantial assistance. The Department of Justice also appreciates the significant cooperation and assistance provided by Moroccan and French authorities.



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Attorney General: $9.3M in stolen unemployment money recovered for Washington state

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently announced that his office recovered another $9.3 million stolen as part of a massive fraud perpetrated against states across the country. 

The money had been deposited by fraudsters into Bank of America accounts, and last week a King County Superior Court judge ordered Bank of America to return the stolen funds to Washington state.

Ferguson’s Complex Litigation Division has now used forfeiture laws to recover $33.7 million stolen from the Employment Security Department. Essentially, the Attorney General is recovering stolen money sitting in accounts at banks and other institutions such as PayPal. 

While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Attorney General Ferguson remains the only state attorney general to exercise state asset forfeiture powers to recover these taxpayer dollars.

During the pandemic, sophisticated fraud rings used identity data harvested from data breaches to steal tens of billions of dollars from at least 11 states, including Washington.

Attorney General Ferguson initiated a unique investigation searching for bank accounts where fraudsters had not yet withdrawn all stolen funds, and launched a legal effort to reclaim these funds for the state. 

To date, financial institutions across the country have cooperated with the Attorney General’s investigation. The Attorney General’s Office anticipates additional recoveries from other financial institutions in the months ahead. The recovered resources go back to the state and federal unemployment systems.

“Our initiative is delivering results for taxpayers,” Ferguson said. “Fraudsters parked this money in accounts with banks and financial institutions all over the country. We’re going directly to those institutions to get it back. We are not slowing down.”

More information here



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Good advice from Social Security this holiday season - Be Aware

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Many of us spend the holidays relaxing and sharing in goodwill with friends and family. 

But some bad actors use the holidays to take advantage of people’s generous spirits. 

Scammers frequently target the older and other more vulnerable members of our communities. They pretend they are from Social Security or another government agency to steal your money or personal information.

Caller ID, texts, or documents sent by email may look official, but they are not. Fraudsters are calling to verify information about the 2023 cost-of-living adjustment for people who get benefits. Remember, this adjustment is automatic and a beneficiary does not need to verify anything. 

Social Security won’t ask you to provide information or money to get your benefit increase. Know that how we do business with you doesn’t change because it’s the holidays. We may email or text you about programs and services, but we will never ask for personal information via email or text.

Recognizing the signs of a scam can help you avoid falling victim to one. These scams primarily use the telephone to contact you, but scammers may also use email, text messages, social media, or U.S. mail. 

Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust. Scammers say there is a problem with your Social Security number or account. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.

Know what to look for and be alert. Scammers don’t take days off and neither should you… when it comes to making sure you identify suspicious communications and report it. If you receive a questionable call, text, or email, hang up or don’t respond and report it at oig.ssa.gov/report

Scammers frequently change their methods with new tactics and messages to trick people. We encourage you to stay up to date on the latest news and advisories by following SSA’s Office of the Inspector General on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook or subscribing to receive email alerts.




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