Tag: identity theft

FBI Warns That Fake FIFA Website Being Used to Steal Personal Information

The FBI on June 16 advised people to be wary of fraudulent websites that try to mimic World Cup or FIFA sites, as the agency warned that such websites have been used to steal personal information and sell counterfeit tickets.

In a public service announcement, the FBI stated that scammers and fraudsters have launched spoofing attempts designed to mimic FIFA’s official website as the World Cup games hosted in North America continue.

“Threat actors often create spoofed websites by slightly altering characteristics of legitimate website domains, with the purpose of gathering personally identifiable information entered by a user into the site, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and banking information,” the FBI statement reads.

The individuals behind such websites may be attempting to trick people into entering sensitive information that could be used to “create new accounts in a victim’s name and ultimately defraud the victim,” the FBI stated.

The federal law enforcement bureau noted that it has identified individuals who had attempted to collect personal information, sell counterfeit World Cup tickets or “hospitality products,” or engaged in other forms of malicious activity in connection with the scams.

The fraudulent website domains could include alternate spellings of words or use a different top-level domain, or TLD, referring to the final segment of the web address, such as .com, .gov, .org, and more, according to the notice.

Scammers may also create a deceptive version of a legitimate website, such as fifa.com, that tricks people into thinking they are going to the official website, it stated. Some include website domains that use alternate domain extensions such as “.blue,” “.beer,” “.city,” and more. Dozens of fraudulent domains were identified by the FBI that have been linked to the scheme, including fake domains related to FIFA jobs, merchandise, or tickets.

FBI officials advised people to first verify website URLs before they enter potentially sensitive or personally identifying information and to go to FIFA’s official website by typing the URL into their browser rather than relying on results produced by search engines, while also verifying that it reads fifa.com.

An Epoch Times review found that many of the websites listed by the FBI in the alert appeared to be down. However, the FBI stated that the “public should be aware that new websites will continue to appear.”

“Exercise caution when clicking on advertisements. Before clicking on an advertisement, check the URL to make sure the site is authentic,” the notice reads. “Malicious advertisements may redirect users to a different website than indicated.”

The June 16 public service announcement did not say whether anyone was victimized by a FIFA website-related scam. But victims who believe that they were targeted in a scam should file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, it states

Aside from combating fake websites, the FBI has also acted to keep drones away from World Cup games. Earlier this week, an illegal immigrant with a prior criminal history, including a cocaine-trafficking conviction, was arrested for flying a drone near a World Cup event in Atlanta, the FBI announced.

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FRAUD CRACKDOWN: ICE Arrests 8 Illegal Aliens Using Stolen Social Security Numbers While Working at Kentucky Window Supply Business

ICE arrested 13 illegal aliens in Paducah, Kentucky, and discovered that eight of them were using stolen Social Security numbers while working at a window supply business.

“This investigation demonstrates our commitment to upholding the integrity of the nation’s employment and immigration systems,” said HSI Nashville acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting.

“By uncovering and addressing the fraudulent use, our team has sent a clear message that those who attempt to circumvent federal law will be held accountable. This case underscores the importance of coordinated enforcement and collaboration in safeguarding American workplaces by combating fraud in all forms,” he said.

Per ICE:

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and its federal partners arrested 13 illegal aliens during an operation that uncovered fraudulent use of Social Security numbers to work at a window supply business in Paducah.

Eight of the illegal aliens have been indicted for using the stolen Social Security numbers. Those not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and potential deportation.

The HSI Bowling Green investigation revealed that, between June 2021 and August 2025, eight illegal aliens used Social Security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens to complete employment eligibility verification forms and secure jobs.

The Form I-9, required by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is used to confirm the identity and work authorization of employees.

This scheme resulted in unauthorized employment and the misuse of personal information.

“These are not victimless crimes,” ICE adds. “Using fraudulent social security numbers to take jobs from American citizens hurts our communities and American workers,” said ICE Louisville acting Assistant Field Office Director Luis Aguirre. “Using fraudulent social security numbers to take jobs from American citizens hurts our communities and American workers. I am so proud of our officers and partners who work tirelessly to enforce our immigration laws.”

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O’Keefe Media Group: California Identity Scam: Petition Fraudsters Log Into Online Database to Get Real Voter Names for Forged Signatures

The O’Keefe Media on Tuesday released part III of its cash-for-ballots investigation into voter fraud in California.

In part III, undercover journalists discovered that the petition fraudsters are logging into an online database to get real voter names for the forged signatures.

Sigvalid.com was identified as the online database.

Per OMG:

In Part III of the cash-for-ballots investigation, petition fraudsters on Skid Row in Los Angeles were caught on hidden camera logging into an online database accessing registered voter names and addresses. These identities were then given to homeless individuals and used to sign in the name of on election petitions.

Our undercover footage shows these signatures completed under false identities, followed by cash payments.

We tracked the names used in the footage and went door-to-door to verify the individuals whose names appeared in the footage. Residents confirmed the addresses were accurate, but denied ever signing any petitions.

Actual voters are angry and demanding authorities take action.

“That’s my address… but that wasn’t me,” one of the voters said.

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11 Arrested in $6M Scheme Targeting Elderly Homeowners in Los Angeles

Eleven defendants – including two foreign nationals – were arrested today on a 15-count federal indictment charging them with executing a scheme in which they allegedly stole the identities of elderly victims, used that information to obtain title reports for residential properties, then solicited millions of dollars in hard money loans from private lenders by falsely representing the loans as being secured by the elderly victims’ properties.

The criminals allegedly tried to take $17.4 million, but the total actual loss is about $6 million.

The following defendants were arrested this morning and all but two of them are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles:

  • Nazaret Chakrian, 65, a.k.a. “Niko,” of Hollywood;
  • Arnold Moradians, 57, a.k.a. “Julian,” of Hollywood, an Iranian national who has an outstanding warrant for removal from the United States;
  • Avetis Hekimyan, 38, a.k.a. “Chef Avo,” of North Hollywood;
  • Ross Tarkhan, 32, of Glendale;
  • Tigran Hovanesian, 56, of Glendale;
  • Armen Vardevaryan, 55, a.k.a. “Gonch,” of North Hollywood;
  • Craig Higdon, 66, of Naples, Florida, who will make his initial appearance in the Middle District of Florida;
  • Helen Spangler, 62, of Oakdale, California, who will make her initial appearance in the Eastern District of California;
  • Victor Lossi, 43, of Thousand Oaks; and
  • Marine Sarkisian, 49, of Hollywood, an Azerbaijani national and green card holder.

The following defendant arrested today is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in Los Angeles federal court:

  • Cynthia Borjas, 51, of Koreatown.

All defendants except Hovanesian are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. Chakrian, Moradians, Borjas, Hekimyan, Tarkhan, Spangler, Lossi, and Sarkisian are charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. Chakrian, Moradians, Tarkhan, and Hovanesian are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tarkhan is further charged with five counts of money laundering.

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Guatemalan Citizen Admits Using Stolen Identity to Obtain Custody of Teen Migrant

A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child.

Court documents say that Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally.

As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in Jan. 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. 

After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud.

Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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Another Democrat Official Caught in Federal Corruption Case

Federal prosecutors in Detroit unveiled new charges on Thursday that expose yet another case of corruption within the Wayne County government. 

Jontae Jackson, a 45-year-old former taxpayer assistant in the county treasurer’s office, was charged with bribery, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. 

According to court documents, Jackson pocketed nearly $18,000 in bribes in exchange for illegally removing properties from the county’s tax foreclosure list.

Prosecutors allege that Jackson worked with Zina Thomas, 61, a former director at the United Community Housing Coalition, a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting struggling Detroit homeowners. 

Instead, Thomas conspired to steal more than 30 properties from low-income residents, using forged quitclaim deeds, fake driver’s licenses, and fraudulent residency documents. 

Jackson would process the documents, remove the properties from foreclosure, and Thomas would flip the homes without the consent of the rightful owners.

The scheme lasted from March to September 2023, and prosecutors say it preyed on Detroiters who were already at risk of losing their homes. 

At least $17,950 in bribe payments were funneled to Jackson. Both she and Thomas are expected to plead guilty, with potential prison sentences of up to ten years.

This scandal is not an isolated incident. It comes on the heels of a wave of public corruption cases in Michigan. 

Just this month, former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly was sentenced in a bribery scheme involving a strip club shakedown. 

Earlier in August, Saif Alsenad, the former government and public affairs director of Wayne County, was charged with lying to the FBI during a bribery investigation. 

These cases paint a bleak picture of Michigan politics, where local government officials repeatedly betray the trust of the very citizens they are sworn to serve.

Unfortunately, Michigan is far from alone. Across the country, similar cases of corruption and abuse of power are surfacing. 

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Elon Musk Drops Bombshell — Says Arrest Is Imminent ‘Today’ in Massive Social Security Theft Involving 400,000 Stolen Identities and Financial Fraud Scheme

In a stunning revelation Monday night during a tele-town hall with Wisconsin voters, Elon Musk warned that an arrest is “imminent” in a massive Social Security fraud scheme involving the stolen identities of over 400,000 Americans.

The theft, Musk claimed, is part of a sophisticated financial theft operation tied not only to illegal immigrants defrauding U.S. social welfare systems—but also to widespread voter fraud enabled by the Democrat Party’s open-borders agenda.

Speaking directly to voters in the Badger State, Musk painted a grim picture of a government drowning in incompetence and corruption.

“The government has got the thorniest computer problem I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“Thousands of systems—many of them are very, very old systems. Some of the software is older than me.”

He slammed decades-long boondoggles like the IRS modernization project, started in 1995, which bureaucrats perpetually claim is “five years away” from completion. “These projects are just ridiculous,” Musk said.

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Woke Oregon county commissioner charged with 8 felonies for allegedly stealing from 83-year-old in fraud scheme

An Oregon county commissioner has been charged with several felonies for allegedly stealing from an elderly victim in a major fraud scheme. Melissa Fireside, 43, a Democrat, was arraigned on charges Wednesday. She is a newly elected Clackamas County Commissioner representing District One.

Fireside faces eight felony charges including first-degree theft, first-degree aggravated theft, two counts of identity theft, two counts of computer crimes, and two counts of first-degree forgery, according to court filings. The commissioner has been accused of taking financial advantage of an 83-year-old man while accessing a computer network. She allegedly forged the victim’s name on documents to steal his funds, per the indictment. The total stolen amounted to tens of thousands of dollars over a series of at least eight separate criminal incidents.

Fireside is being prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice. She has also been accused of forging the signature of Democrat state Rep. April Dobson, who represents Happy Valley, to steal the victim’s funds. A Clackamas County judge ordered Fireside to have no contact with both the victim and Dobson during Wednesday’s hearing. She was not remanded to custody.

According to the indictment, Fireside “unlawfully and knowingly accessed a computer for the purpose of committing theft of money.” This included forging or altering several promissory notes: one for $29,000 and another for $30,000. The first recorded criminal act occurred on September 16, 2024, according to court documents.

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IRS Failed To Properly Dispose of Sensitive Tax Documents, Report Finds

Earlier this year, a federal judge sentenced a former IRS contractor to five years in prison for leaking the tax returns of multiple high-profile billionaires. The case involves genuine wrongdoing by someone entrusted with people’s private information. But a new report from the U.S. Treasury Department found the IRS itself was routinely negligent with taxpayer documents in its possession.

“The IRS receives and creates a significant volume of sensitive documents and is responsible for protecting these sensitive documents from receipt to disposal,” according to a report from the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Specifically, federal agencies must “shred, burn, mulch, pulp, or pulverize sensitive documents beyond recognition and reconstruction.”

The TIGTA report notes that since 2009, the IRS has contracted with an unnamed “outside national vendor” to do this. The vendor provides IRS facilities with locked bins to store sensitive documents, which are later picked up to dispose of the documents securely.

This vendor services “387 (75 percent) of 514 IRS facilities,” the report notes, while another 17 facilities contract with local companies. But for the rest, it’s apparently a free-for-all: “We found that the IRS is unaware of what sensitive document destruction capabilities are in place for the 110 facilities not covered under a contract. For example, the IRS initially thought the Andover, Massachusetts, facility was covered by a local sensitive document destruction contract. After we inquired about the contract, the IRS discovered that this facility was not covered by any contract.”

When the auditors then performed a site visit at that facility, they found “trash containers being used for all waste, including sensitive documents that contained tax information and Personally Identifiable Information.”

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Ohio Meat Processing Company “Fresh Mark, Inc.” Agrees to Pay $3.7M Penalty for Employing Migrant Workers Using Stolen U.S. Citizens’ Identities

Fresh Mark, Inc., an Ohio-based meat processing company, has entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with federal authorities after its hiring manager orchestrated a scheme involving aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice.

This agreement allows the company to avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for meeting certain criteria, including paying a penalty and implementing a compliance and ethics program.

The case, centered on Fresh Mark’s Salem facility, revealed that Yelwin Omar Munoz-Solis, a hiring manager, actively participated in a conspiracy to steal the identities of U.S. citizens.

These stolen identities were then handed to illegal immigrants seeking employment at Fresh Mark’s processing plants. Munoz-Solis not only facilitated the fraudulent hiring but also falsified I-9 documents to deceive federal authorities about the employees’ eligibility to work in the United States.

Between 2013 and 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents exposed Fresh Mark’s hiring practices, leading to the detention of 146 illegal aliens employed at the company’s facilities in Salem, Massillon, and Canton.

Thirty of these individuals faced federal charges for immigration violations, but the scandal didn’t stop there.

The company’s complicity in the fraudulent scheme was cemented when Munoz-Solis pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

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