Human Trafficker Arrested in Oklahoma. Arkansas Businesses Raided. Victims Rescued.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced recent results of the ongoing "Operation Obscured Vision", which began in January. A total of 13 illicit message businesses have been served with search warrants, and to date there have been seven arrests. Twenty-three victims have been identified.
Continue ReadingSimi Valley man pleads guilty to obtaining millions from state unemployment fraud and laundering proceeds to China.
A multi-defendant case being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General has resulted in a second defendant pleading guilty to receiving over $46 million of fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation benefits, laundering the illegal proceeds through their companies and transferring these funds to parties in China.
Continue ReadingMr. Honesty can't live up to his name. Sentenced to four years in prison for his role in multiple cybercrimes and fraud schemes.
Marco Honesty was sentenced to four years in prison on May 23, 2025, for multiple cybercrimes and fraud schemes including: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud resulting in more than $500,000 loss to the SBA, smishing and bank account takeovers, fraudulent money orders, and identify theft.
Continue ReadingMr. Honesty can't live up to his name. Sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in multiple cybercrime and fraud schemes.
Marco Honesty was sentenced to 2 years in prison on May 23, 2025, for multiple cybercrime and fraud schemes including: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud resulting in more than $500,000 loss to the SBA, smishing and bank account takeovers, fraudulent money orders, and identify theft.
Continue ReadingFour Individuals Charged in $63 Million Mail Theft Conspiracy, Including Two Postal Employees
Jaiswan Williams, 31, Dequan Foreman, 30, Vanessa Hargrove, 39, and Crystal Jenkins, 31, were charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud. Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces used to sell the checks.
Continue ReadingNotorious Refund Fraud Operator "REKK" Arrested in Lithuania
With the cooperation of Amazon and others, the suspected ringleader (and at least one accomplice) of notorious online refund fraud channel "Rekk Refunds" has been detained in Lithuania. The NCFTA has reported on Rekk's impact to numerous Members since the Fall of 2023 and supported Lithuanian law enforcement during the 2024 "ITF".
Continue ReadingCalifornia Conspirators Funneled $59m in Unemployment Compensation Benefits to China
Defendants and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. In reality, the funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. According to the indictment, unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts.
Continue ReadingNew York State's First-Ever Missing Child Rescue Operation Results in Successful Location of 47 Children Reported Missing in Erie County
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) today announced that 47 children who were reported missing in Erie County have been located through a first-of-its-kind Missing Child Rescue Operation in the state.
Continue ReadingHow the FBI and Mandiant caught a ‘serial hacker’ who tried to fake his own death
Jesse Kipf was a prolific hacker who sold access to systems he hacked, had contacts with a notorious cybercrime gang, and tried to use his hacking skills to get off the grid for good.
Continue ReadingTwo Russian Nationals Charged in Connection with Operating Billion Dollar Money Laundering Services
Justice Department Seizes Web Domains for Multiple Illicit Crypto Exchanges
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