U. S. Secret Service - Investigations

Visitors Since Sept. 11, 2006

United States Secret Service Investigations

On the Web:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

For Consumer Information:
www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

Keep a log of all conversations with authorities and financial entities.

As with any personal information, only provide your credit card number to merchants you know. Also, remember to protect your social security number. You have to give your social security number for employment and tax purposes, but it is not necessary for many businesses. Notify the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General if your social security number has been used fraudulently.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of identity theft. Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, the Commission assists victims of identity theft by providing them with information to help them resolve the financial and other problems that can result from identity theft. The FTC also may refer victim complaints to other appropriate government agencies and private organizations for further action. If you have been a victim of identity theft, you can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the FTC's Consumer Response Center.

By Phone:
Toll-free 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)
TDD 202-326-2502

By Mail:
Consumer Response Center
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20580

Table of Contents

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Since 1982, the Secret Service has enforced laws involving counterfeit and fraudulent identification. Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028, defines this criminal act as someone who knowingly and without lawful authority produces, transfers, or possesses a false identification document to defraud the U.S. Government. The use of desktop publishing software/hardware to counterfeit and produce different forms of identification used to obtain funds illegally remains one of the Secret Service's strongest core violations.

The Money Laundering Control Act makes it a crime to launder proceeds of certain criminal offenses called "specified unlawful activities" (SUA), which are defined in Title 18, United States Code,1956, 1957 and Title 18,United States Code, 1961, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The Secret Service has observed an increase in money laundering activities as they relate to these specified unlawful activities. This is especially true in the area of financial institution fraud, access device fraud (credit card, telecommunications and computer investigations), food stamp fraud, and counterfeiting of U.S. currency.

Money Laundering

In 1986, Congress revised Title 18 of the United States Code to include the investigation of fraud and related activities concerning computers that were described as "federal interest computers," as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030. The Secret Service has also investigated cases where computer technology has been used in traditional Secret Service violations, such as counterfeiting and the creation of false identification documents.

Computers are being used extensively in financial crimes, not only as an instrument of the crime, but to "hack" into data bases to retrieve account information; store account information; clone microchips for cellular telephones; and scan corporate checks, bonds and negotiable instruments, that are later counterfeited using desktop publishing methods.

Because computers are a tremendous source of both investigative leads and evidentiary material, the Secret Service has established the Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP), that trains agents to conduct forensic examinations of computers that were used in criminal endeavors. So trained, these agents can preserve any investigative leads within the computer, as well as any evidence needed for subsequent prosecutions.

Computer Fraud