FBI - legal informations for US citizens

Legal Attaché Offices

THE FBI'S INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

Sources:

http://www.fbi.gov/contact/legat/legat.htm

Why does the FBI have an international presence? To protect Americans.

As Director Mueller notes, "the globalization of crime—whether terrorism, international trafficking of drugs, contraband, and people, or cyber crime—absolutely requires us to integrate law enforcement efforts around the world. And that means having our agents working directly with their counterparts overseas on cases of mutual interest—not only to solve crimes that have been committed, but to prevent crimes and acts of terror by sharing information in real time."

Our international presence currently consists of more than 50 small Legal Attaché offices (Legats) in U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.

Their goals? Simple:

§ To stop foreign crime as far from American shores as possible;

§ To help solve international crimes that do occur as quickly as possible.

Their activities? Staffed with agents and a support staff, they:

§ Coordinate international investigations with their colleagues;

§ Cover international leads for domestic U.S. investigations;

§ Link U.S. and international resources in critical criminal and terrorist areas that better ensure the safety of the American public here and abroad. The rules for joint activities and information sharing are generally spelled out in formal agreements between the United States and the Legat's host country; and

§ Coordinate FBI training classes for police in their geographic areas—everything from counterterrorism and cybercrime matters to forensic techniques to human trafficking and human rights.

The FBI's Legal Attaché program is overseen by the Office of International Operations, headed by a Special Agent in Charge, at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. This Office keeps in close contact with other federal agencies, Interpol, foreign police and security officers in Washington, and national and international law enforcement associations.

To read more about Legat activities, please visit our index of international stories.

New E-Scams & Warnings

PHISHING ATTACKS TARGETING MYSPACE.COM USERS

06/15/06—The FBI has become aware of phishing attacks targeting users of the popular social networking web site, www.myspace.com (MySpace).

These attacks have come in the form of a bulletin titled "CHECK OUT these old school pictures...." When a user clicks on the provided link to view the pictures, his or her web browser is directed to a screen that is an exact reproduction of the MySpace login screen. However, this offer and its corresponding web site are not affiliated with MySpace. These attacks may be a vector to introduce Malware—such as a Trojan virus—to steal financial information from recipients. And while MySpace users do not typically store financial information on their personal pages, phishers may be gambling that the login information for users' MySpace accounts is the same for other accounts at financial institutions, online auction web sites, or online payment systems.

Consumers should be very cautious when providing login information to web sites they did not directly visit. CONSUMERS ARE FURTHER ADVISED AGAINST USING THE SAME USER NAMES AND PASSWORDS FOR THEIR VARIOUS ONLINE ACCOUNTS.

FRAUDULENT E-MAIL PURPORTEDLY FROM THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC)

06/14/06—The FBI has received complaints concerning a spam e-mail purportedly from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This scheme originally was unleashed in 2004, but currently is resurfacing. The e-mail claims:

§ In cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and federal, state, and local governments, your account has been denied insurance from the FDIC due to suspected violations of the Patriot Act.

§ Recipients may verify their identities by clicking the provided link, http://www.fdic.gov/idverify/cgi-bin/index.htm.

§ Once your identity is validated, all suspensions of insurance on your account will be lifted.

§ Failure to complete the identity verification will result in termination of insurance on your account and all records of your account will be sent to the FBI in Washington D.C., for analysis and verification.

§ Failure to provide proper identity may also result in a visit from Homeland Security officials or the local, state, or federal government.

Be cautious of e-mails requesting personal and/or financial information. Information related to Federal Deposit Insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using its online Customer Assistance Form.

If you have received this e-mail or one similar, please file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

THEFT OF DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)

06/02/06—The FBI has been advised of a theft of data from an employee of the VA. The FBI is issuing this alert in the event individuals claiming to represent the VA begin contacting veterans and asking them to verify personal information such as Social Security numbers, etc.

Please be advised the VA is NOT initiating telephone calls or sending individual e-mail to potential identity theft victims asking them to verify personal information. If you DO receive a telephone call or e-mail from a person claiming to represent the VA, DO NOT provide personal information over the telephone and DO NOT respond to these e-mail messages. For more information on the theft of the data and current attempts to resolve the situation, please visit the VA's website.

If you believe that you have been a victim of a crime related to the theft of the VA data, please complete the following questionnaire.

Additionally, if you think you are a victim of identity theft, here are the steps which you should follow in order to protect yourself and your financial situation:

§ If the crime in any way involved the U.S. Mail, contact your nearest U.S. Postal Inspection Service office and report it.

§ Call the fraud units of the three major credit bureaus and request a "fraud alert" be placed on your credit file. Check your monthly financial statements for accuracy.

§ Contact your banks and creditors—by phone and in writing—to report the crime. You may be advised to close some or all of your accounts. At the least, change your PIN and passwords immediately.

§ Record the names and phone numbers of people with whom you discussed your case and retain all original reports and supporting documents. Keeping accurate and complete records is a big step toward helping you resolve your problem.

§ Contact your financial institutions and request they flag your accounts. Instruct them to contact you immediately if there is unusual activity on your accounts.

File your complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or call its Identity Theft Hotline at 877-IDTheft (877-438-4338). The FTC has counselors to assist identity theft victims with resolving financial and other problems that can result from this crime.

http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm