ICE agents return more than $3,500 to victim of telemarketing fraud

CHICAGO - Special agents with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned $3,561.17 on Friday to an elderly victim of telemarketing con artists operating from Canada.

The money was returned April 15 to a 72-year-old resident of Downers Grove, Ill., following a multi-agency investigation under a joint U.S.-Canada initiative called "Project COLT." Although there are many variations to the scam, in this case the callers told the elderly man that he had won a $1 million lottery prize, but he had to pay fees and service charges to be able to collect the fictitious winnings. This victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, lost about $30,000 of his savings to the scam artists over the past two years.

ICE HSI special agents warn that con artists often pose as lawyers, customs officials, police officers or lottery company officials to scam their victims out of millions of dollars.

Project COLT was formed in 1998 to identify, disrupt and dismantle telemarketing fraud operations in the United States and Canada. Project COLT members include the following law enforcement agencies: ICE HSI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Surete du Quebec (Quebec Provincial Police), Montreal Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

"Don't fall prey to unscrupulous scam artists," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Chicago. "Together with our law enforcement partners, ICE will do our best to put this criminal enterprise out of business. However, the best defense to this scam is to be very suspicious of anyone who asks for money up front so you can collect a lottery prize."

Fraudulent telemarketers often instruct their victims to pay for service charges, federal or provincial taxes, customs duties, handling, insurance or other charges. Victims are told to send the funds via mail, courier or wire-transfer companies, such as Western Union or MoneyGram. Scammers are often able to then receive the transferred funds using false identification. Con artists frequently pose as government officials to convince their victims to send money.

Project COLT includes a unit of officers who intercept funds and work to prevent further victimization through public education. They also investigate these cases to bring to justice those who commit the fraud. Project COLT intercepts about $1 million annually. These funds are returned to victims who are instructed how they can avoid future victimization.

Project COLT members have formed partnerships with the Canada Border Services Agency, Canada Post Corporation, Federal Express, Purolator, UPS, DHL and other companies to assist with intercepting and returning funds to the victims.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected telemarketers or fraudulent activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.