U.S. Border Patrol Seizes Drugs Worth $8.3 Million on Thanksgiving Day

Westmorland, Calif. – On Thanksgiving Day, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio station seized a substantial amount of cocaine at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Westmorland.

The incident occurred at approximately 12 p.m., after a Border Patrol Canine team alerted to a blue semi-truck as it performed a cursory search of the vehicle. The truck driver was identified as a 44-year-old male Mexican national with valid immigration documents. Agents used a large scale imaging system to scan the vehicle. The scan revealed several anomalies within the vehicle which led to the discovery of 100 sealed packages of cocaine concealed inside a non-factory compartment. The cocaine weighed approximately 260 pounds and was given an estimated street value of more than $8.3 million.

The driver was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the vehicle and narcotics.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

FBI Boston Division Reminds Holiday Shoppers to Beware of Fraudulant Cyber Activity

Tips You Can Use to Avoid Being a Victim

BOSTON, MA—With the holiday season approaching, Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers, of the FBI’s Boston Division, wants to remind New England shoppers to beware of cyber criminals and their aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personally identifiable information from you this season.

Black Friday has traditionally been the “biggest shopping day of the year.” The e-commerce industry designated the Monday following Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday, the day for merchants and manufacturers to offer online sales and promotions without interfering with Friday’s traditional retail shopping.

On Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season, consumers are encouraged to beware of bargain e-mails advertising one day only promotions for recognized brands or websites. Fraudsters often use the hot items of the season to lure bargain hunters into providing credit card information. The old adage “if it seems too good to be true” is an easy indicator to determine if the e-mails are legitimate.

“Especially during the holiday season, consumers should remain vigilant and proceed with caution when conducting an online transaction. Fraudsters prey on consumers to provide their personally identifiable information through bogus web sites,” said Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Swindon.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

■Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

■Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and keep up with the security updates to prevent viruses and malicious programs from infecting your computer.
■Make purchases using websites with secure connections. Look for websites that use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security which protects your personal information. Check the browser’s status bar for an unbroken “padlock” icon that indicates the sites’ using SSL.
■Use your credit card instead of debit card when making a purchase. Credit cards offer added protection from fraudulent transactions.
■Never use your Social Security Number to make online purchases.
■Use strong passwords. A strong password should include at least five letters and one number.

For more information on how to safely shop online this holiday season, please go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center website at IC3.gov/media/2011/111121.aspx.  For more information on e-scams, please visit FBI.gov E-scams and Warnings webpage at FBI.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm.

The FBI New York Division Reminds Shoppers to Remain Vigilant This Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us and the FBI New York reminds New Yorkers to be aware of criminals looking to steal money and personal information through various types of cyber crimes and fraudulent activity. Scammers frequently employ a variety of techniques to fool potential victims, including conducting fraudulent auction sales, reshipping merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards, selling fraudulent or stolen gift cards through auction sites at discounted prices, and engaging in a number of phishing and smishing schemes.

Special Agent in Charge Mary Galligan said, "We must remain vigilant while working to protect our personal information from getting into the hands of criminals who wish to cause financial harm. This warning should serve as a reminder for everyone to practice due diligence this holiday season."

Scammers use many techniques to deceive potential victims for their own personal gain. Internet criminals are no exception. Many criminals post classified ads or auctions for products they do not have. Fraudsters receive an order from a victim, charge the victim's credit card for the amount of the order, then use a separate, stolen credit card for the actual purchase. They pocket the purchase price obtained from the victim's credit card and have the merchant ship the item directly to the victim. When an item is purchased from an online auction, but received directly from the merchant, this is a strong indication of fraud. Victims of such a scam not only lose the money paid to the fraudster, but may be liable for receiving stolen goods.

Shoppers may help avoid these scams by using caution and not providing financial information directly to the seller. Always use a legitimate payment service to ensure a safe purchase. Protect yourself by checking each seller's ratings and feedback, and be wary of anyone with 100 percent positive feedback if they have a low number of postings.

Gift card scams are also a concern. Exercise caution when purchasing gift cards through auction sites or classified ads, it is safest to purchase them directly from the merchant or an authorized retail store. This will give the merchant a chance to deactivate the gift card number if fraudulent and thereby protect your purchase.

Existing phishing and smishing schemes have also been developed for promoting fraudulent activity. In a phishing scheme, fraudsters will pose as a valid entity and use e-mails and scam websites to obtain victims' personal information, such as account numbers, user names, passwords, etc. Smishing is the act of sending fraudulent text messages to bait a victim into revealing personal information.

Exercise due diligence when receiving e-mails or text messages that indicate a problem or question regarding your financial accounts. In this scam, fraudsters direct victims to follow a link or call a number to update an account or correct a purported problem. The link directs the victim to a fraudulent website or message that appears legitimate. Instead, the site allows the fraudster to steal any personal information the victim provides.

Current smishing schemes involve fraudsters calling victims' cell phones offering to lower the interest rates for credit cards the victims do not even possess. If a victim asserts that they do not own the credit card, the caller hangs up. These fraudsters call from TRAC cell phones that do not have voicemail, or the phone provides a constant busy signal when called, rendering these calls virtually untraceable.

Another scam involves fraudsters directing victims, via e-mail, to a spoofed website. A spoofed website is a fake site that misleads the victim into providing personal information, which is routed to the scammer's computer.

Phishing schemes related to deliveries are also rampant this holiday season. Legitimate delivery service providers neither e-mail shippers regarding scheduled deliveries nor state when a package is intercepted or being temporarily held. Consequently, e-mails informing of such delivery issues are phishing scams that can lead to personal information breaches and financial losses.

Special Agent Richard Kolko said, "Many will be targeted this year by individuals looking to exploit personal and financial information for their own personal agenda. Be smart—protect yourself and your families from the crooks who look to manipulate this information and use it to their own advantage. If it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't."

To protect yourself from falling victim to fraudulent schemes this holiday season, the FBI also recommends the following tips:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.

• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.

• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.

• Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.

• Log directly onto the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.

• If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.

• Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.

To receive the latest information about cyber scams, please go to the FBI website and sign up for e-mail alerts.

If you have received a scam e-mail, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov. For more information on e-scams, please visit the FBI's New E-Scams and Warnings webpage at http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams.