FBI Disrupts Virtual Money Laundering Service Used to Facilitate Criminal Activity
Action taken in conjunction with international partners and Michigan State Police to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure behind E-Note, an exchange used by transnational cyber-criminals. Since 2017, more than $70,000,000 of illicit proceeds from ransomware and account takeovers have transferred via E-Note payment service and money mule network.
Continue ReadingOperation "Maple Disruption 2025" coordinated over 3,000 disruptive actions against fraud enablers
From December 8-11, this year's sprint brought fraud fighters from over 25 organizations across Canada and the NCFTA in Pittsburgh. Maple Disruption partners worked together to identify instances of suspected fraud and coordinated over 3,000 disruptive actions.
Continue ReadingTwo Miscreants Involved in $26m Elder Fraud Scheme Indicted
Trevaughn Yearwood, a/k/a Larry Wood of Florida, and Amit Jumar of Virginia have been indicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania for their part in a $26 million money laundering scheme. The scheme included deceptive emails that lead victims to hand over cash or make deposits of cash into bitcoin ATMs. The case originated during a private sector and law enforcement training event hosted by NCFTA.
Continue ReadingTwo Virginia Men Arrested for Conspiring to Destroy Government Databases
On December 3, 2025, brothers Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter of Alexandria, Virginia, were arrested for their roles in a conspiracy to destroy government databases hosted by a federal government contractor, among other crimes.
Continue ReadingCryptocurrency Mixing Service 'Cryptomixer' Unplugged by EU Authorities
Another one bites the dust: From November 24-28, Europol supported an action week conducted by law enforcement authorities from Switzerland and Germany in Zurich, Switzerland. The operation focused on taking down the illegal cryptocurrency mixing service ‘Cryptomixer’, which is suspected of facilitating cybercrime and money laundering.
Continue ReadingHuman 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 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 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.
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