Crime and Crooks

FBI Shines Light on Dark Market Criminal Online Trading Post

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:39:00 +0000

Dark Market was like an "eBay" for identity theft crooks to buy, sell and trade your credit card and social security numbers. Notice I said was. The FBI shut Dark Market down and is investigating its 2,500+ registered members. There have already been over 50 arrests.

Are you taken aback by this? There are hundreds of similar sites operating on the down low in black market online enterprises that provide a platform for those who specialize in stealing your identity and those who want to buy it for nefarious purposes. This kind of e-crime is just one area that computer crime investigators deal with at your local police department, if it's large enough to fund such an operation. They're also bogged down with child pornography, mail order brides aka human slave trades, and online predators. But that's another story.

Back to the Dark Market and what it means to you. In a nutshell, sites like that make it easy for someone to purchase your account number encryption, which is what's on the magnetic strip on your credit card, and use it to buy stuff...lots of stuff in a very short time period before you find out about it.

The Dark Market raid is the perfect way to kick off my long advertised training academy on protecting yourself from skimming.

Skimming is transferring account data on your card's magnetic strip to a device no bigger than a pager.

Skimmers are available online for under $20 and are not illegal to possess, as long as they're empty of data. Doesn't that suck? The crook skims your card and uploads your data to a computer, where they can either create their own fake credit card or sell your info for someone else to play with. Most people don't realize that the raised numbers on a credit card are meaningless for point of sale purchases; it's the information encrypted on the magnetic strip on the back. So, if the thief has your strip data, he can produce a plastic card with fake numbers and his photo and name to match his ID. When it's swiped, it's your account that will be charged.

There are two ways to skim your card - someone does it to you or you do it to yourself. The remainder of this post covers the first scenario.

When Do They Skim Your Card?

Whenever your card leaves your possession, it's at risk to be skimmed. The most common place to be skimmed is at restaurants. Food servers can carry skimmers in their aprons or pockets and quickly run your card through as you wait for your bill at the table. You'll never know they've done it when your card is returned with your charge receipt. Skimmers are often paid by an identity theft broker to collect the data which they then resell at a much higher price online.

Once your data is bought, your nightmare begins. You'll be spending hours with your creditors explaining why you couldn't have made those purchases and signing affidavits for the investigating agency. Sure, your cards all say, "zero fraud liability", but that doesn't mean you won't have to go through all the motions.

Now, credit card skimming is bad enough but at least you can refuse to pay the unauthorized charges. Just imagine if your debit card is skimmed. My neighbor's check card was skimmed last year and several thousand dollars was stolen from her checking account overnight. It was payday and her entire check was stolen that evening when two suspects used her account to buy two mobile home generators at a camping store hours away from where we live.

This is why I say to you, never, NEVER, use your debit card for point of sale purchases. I know this defeats much of the convenience of having one, but once you have to work backwards trying to recover money that's already swiped out of your checking account, you'll agree an extra trip to the ATM is worth it. If you don't want to carry cash around, then at least only use your credit card. That way, your cash is not at risk.

There's much more to share about skimming. Come back for my next post in the Skimming Series and please share these tips with your friends. You could save them a world of trouble.

NEXT TIME: How you unknowingly skim your own card for the crooks.

How to Kiss Your Gadgets Goodbye and Make Burglars Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:13:00 +0000

I got in my car to grab my Sunday coffee and paper yesterday morning, buckled up and noticed someone's forehead print on the outside of my driver's side window. Someone was peering into my car last night and left their greasy head print and smudge of a nose behind. I am so very pleased the thief found nothing interesting inside my car and moved three cars over to bust my neighbor's window.

As soon as I saw the prints, I shut her down and hopped out to look for the auto burglary victim. Sure enough, my neighbor's brand new Audi sported a fractured passenger window. The crack pattern of the glass shows a spark plug was probably used to fracture it. The window cracks quietly and crumbles inward with a light push, giving the thief full access without any jagged glass to get cut on.

I went back upstairs to tell my neighbor he'd been fleeced. He ran down ahead of me in his boxers and spewed a stream of F bombs. He'd left his brand new Garmin GPS portable unit affixed to his windshield. Gone. His iPod left in his car kit, gone. His gym bag in the trunk, gone. He also never locks his glove box. His insurance paperwork and registration, gone. So now not only does he have to replace all his gadgets and window, but he has to monitor for identity theft, too. What a pain in the ass. Always lock your glove compartments.

My neighbor was so angry he wouldn't listen to me telling him not to touch anything. He opened the trunk, the glove box, climbed all around the seats and slapped the dashboard where his GPS used to be. I can totally relate, but as I told him the police would not respond to print his car since he'd disturbed everything. Instead, they take a telephonic report.

You might think it a total long shot for an auto burglar to be made on prints, but you'd be surprised. If latent prints are found, they're lifted and scanned into IAFIS. There may already be a match for your particular crook and then fun's over for them. If not, trust me when I say auto burglars are like the toddlers of crime. They crawl before they walk, and when they start walking they move on to residential burglary or violent crimes. Sooner or later their prints will be taken when they're arrested and then your auto burglary will come back to haunt them. So, don't touch your burglarized vehicle. Call police as soon as you notice forced entry. Make sure to tell them you have not touched anything and want a unit to respond for printing.

Thieves are not going to bust your window unless they see a little treat inside your car. I am so happy the wanker saw nothing in my car worth his trouble and so pissed that he screwed with a very nice neighbor. Remember, keep your belongings out of sight unless you like playing with fire. It takes about 30 seconds for experienced thieves to break in and steal everything worth anything. Even if you hear the window smash, they'll be long gone by the time you call police and a unit arrives. Why not spend the same 30 seconds bringing your hard-earned stuff inside with you?

Mad Scientist Bruce Ivins the Anthrax Killer Worked Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:25:00 +0000

Today the FBI released affidavits reading like a Dean Koontz thriller plot in the seven-year investigation of the 2001 anthrax serial murders of five people. Army scientist Bruce Ivins worked alone, investigators said. The case ties Ivins to the specific spores of anthrax used in the killings, the equipment needed to dry the poison and the particular pre-printed envelops used to mail it. The envelops were breadcrumbs of sorts. They had certain printing defects and were sold in Frederick, Maryland, the same city Ivins kept his post office box.

Motive, on the other hand, will remain speculative because Ivins took the deal with the devil and killed himself on July 29, 2008, by overdosing. Shucks. I hate when that happens. I would much rather he suffer a lifetime of humiliation and intimidation in prison. Ivins whacked himself after being notified he faced arrest charges for the killings under mounting evidence.

Among the dirty deeds he couldn't bullshit investigators about were unusually long hours working alone at night and on weekends in the days leading up to each of the mailings, discarding a book on DNA coding at his home while under surveillance and submitting fake anthrax samples to the FBI.

Two theories attempting to explain his his crazed behavior include Ivin's anthrax vaccination which was failing at the time of the murders and a history of marauding congress and the media with hundreds of complaint letters over the years.

It's amazing what investigators can do with the slightest of leads. Take the envelops, for example. It's likely Ivins never noticed the printing imperfection on the batch, else he'd have stopped using them. Who would think those envelops could be traced to one point of sale and further linked to the area of his post office box? Apparently he didn't.

I think it's dumb to use something so closely tied to oneself as a murder weapon. He was a scientist studying pathogens and specializing in anthrax, for crying out loud. Now Dr. Arthur Warren Waite, on the other hand, put a slippery spin on his murders. Way back in 1916, he used bacteria from genuine diseases to kill his in-laws. The natural reaction when someone dies from a common disease is not to suspect someone injected them with it.

Sneaky enough, but it didn't work. Waite fed his father-in-law diphtheria germs and got no results. He prepared a nasal spray for him full of tuberculosis germs and nothing happened. He gave him calomel to weaken his immune system, still nothing. He secretly blasted him with colonies of typhoid and influenza and finally in frustration turned to arsenic, after which he bribed the embalmer with $8,000 to keep his mouth shut.

The only reason Waite was discovered was because a woman in the know sent the victim's son a telegram about it. Check out the link, it's a kick from the 1916 New York times involving blackmailers, a violinist and the word 'scoundrel'.

I digress. In any case, it's always a pleasure to read about a murderer who's crossed off easy street, whether law enforcement gets them or they're betrayed from within, it's victory just the same.

Poetic Justice for Lonnie Ramos? Dad Kidnapper Killed in Mexico.

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:20:00 +0000

Wingnut Lonnie Ramos met his maker when he was killed in a car crash in Mexico yesterday after shooting his ex-wife in the face and abducting their 9-year-old son Ryan last Wednesday. I'm thinking he's got a lot of explaining to do. His wife survived, but needs extensive reconstructive surgery. The safe return of her son will help her recover, her mother told the press today.

Ramos unsuccessfully tried to buy tickets for himself and his son at an Orange County airport when he refused to show identification. I mean, if you're going to shoot your wife in the face and kidnap your own son, you would think he'd have a better escape plan. What a clown. Ramos decided a giant purple and gold motor home was a good get-away car and road it all the way to the border, where he abandoned the giant bread crumb and crossed over.

Ryan's paternal grandfather told police they could find Ryan at a Mormon church in Juarez after his son checked in with him by phone. The boy was found safe, his Dad, not so much. Ramos was killed in a violent car crash near Juarez.

Domestic disputes, especially child custody situations, are some of the most dangerous emergency calls officers respond to. People are emotional, angry and often irrational, and their crazy decisions show it. Ramos went off the deep end during a custody exchange. Many times the process of physically handing the child over pushes the unstable parent over the edge.

Domestic violence victims are in a tough spot. Beyond restraining orders, law enforcement usually can't arrest anyone until something serious happens. Saying mean things and even making threats are not going to get someone arrested. If you find yourself in this situation, at least file for a restraining order. Then, officers have court-ordered conditions to enforce when your whack job ex comes looking for you or your children.

Consider making custody exchanges at a police station if you feel unsafe around your ex. If he/she wants to hurt you or snatch your kid, chances are a police parking lot or lobby is not their ideal location to do so.

Bonehead Alert: Another LAPD Gang Summit with Clergy

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Today the Los Angeles Police Department held yet another gang intervention summit with local clergy and community members. Blah, blah, BLAH. After spending about $100 million on gang prevention in the past decade with little to show for it, why does the LAPD and hundreds of other law enforcement agencies keep holding these summits?

The "at-risk" youth just need some positive direction, they say; the young people have no opportunties to improve their situation. That tired argument is one of the biggest cons in criminal justice. It's sexy to promise gang violence reduction and work towards peace, so politicians fund the programs with your tax dollars and bring money into their districts. Police agencies are stuck committing resources to these intervention programs and pretending they love it when they really want to, and should, spend every second enforcing laws in the street.

Gang summits are puppet shows. Gang members do not want jobs. They already have ones that pay more than yours and mine for a few hours of work. I recently completed my thesis on gang finances and you would be floored at the cheese gang members make from drug dealing and robbery for the benefit of their gang. You can find the stats all over criminal justice sites on the Web. This is not a scientific post, but rather a plea for sanity from local government and a personal rant. GrrrrrrRRRRrrr.

I am sure this latest summit will generate a slew of press releases in the coming months about bunches of gang arrest statistics and so on. Arrests are great, but arrests tied to saturation sweeps are rarely capable of disrupting gang operations. So a few members get some parole violations, or some others might be identified for robbery, the vast majority might get cited for probation violations. Big deal. If they're convicted, they'll be out in a few days or weeks, emerging from prison with stronger gang ties.

To jam a dent into criminal street gang operations, you have to cut the head off the snake. Identifying shot callers and collecting admissible evidence takes time and money, both of which are being sucked off by these lame gang summits and the intervention programs they spawn. Federal wire tapping orders are expensive, tedious but very, very effective in slamming gang members at the top of the pyramid with lengthy federal sentences.

The only way to reduce gang violence for the long haul is to critically damage their structure from the top down and the best way to do this is disrupting their financial operations. Without finances, gangs cannot buy guns to protect their territory or narcotics to generate income. It's clear as day to me. After you push away the "gang intervention" fog, maybe you'll see the light, too.

High Five High Court: Washington DC Gun Ban Law Overturned

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:03:00 +0000

The Supreme Court in a moment of clarity overturned Washington D.C.'s longstanding ban on gun ownership today based on Second Amendment right to bear arms violations. Victory! As a crime analyst, I am ecstatic about this decision to chuck the 32-year-old law and I'll tell you why.

Amidst the already pelting hailstorm of warnings and condemnations of society gone wild with gun slinging citizens around every corner, let me be a voice of reason. People do not realize that the bad guys will get their guns regardless of what the law says. Anyone, especially gang members, can buy a gun on the street in my jurisdiction and thousands across the United States for about $40 on the high-end. No questions asked and some extra ammunition thrown in to seal the deal.

Shocked? I was, too, when I entered the criminal justice field 18 years ago. But I assure you, this is reality. Criminals often exchange weapons for narcotic products to sell individually or for the benefit of their gangs. This is how the same guns are traded and circulated in a common area and why the same firearm is often tied to many different crimes through ballistic analysis.

Gangs commonly recruit kids aged 10 - 14 to run drug product from suppliers to dealers or dealers to buyers because the penalties are so soft for juvenile crime. The children are mostly delighted to earn about $1500 a week for maybe 10 hours work (stiff competition for McDonald's, huh?) These kids are very often armed with black market guns during transports. Strange contradiction, isn't it? A little boy on a mountain bike enjoying the summer day with his shirt packed with heroin and a .45 in his little waistband?

Such is the world we live in, unless you live in Singapore or another country that understands how to use punishment effectively. The first Second Ammendment case to be heard by the high court in 70 years has a happy ending for me. This gun ban reversal only evens up the playing field a little and believe me, we need all the leverage we can get. Residents in Washington D.C. can now obtain licenses to own guns legally. Rejoice Americans. I'm signing up for target practice.

Summer Fun for Crooks: Hot Weather is Burglary Season

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:11:00 +0000

Burglaries are up along with the temperature in here in Southern California this month. Each season has predictable crime trends and summer brings out the residential burglars. Home burglaries are one of the most efficient crimes for criminals because they can gain entry in seconds, quickly find valuables with trained eyes and exit through the front door like nothing's the matter. Read on and learn how to make a few changes in your home that just might encourage the burglars to leave your house alone.

When I look for residential burglary trends, I scan methods and points of entry (MOE, POE). Crooks are creatures of habit too, and when they find a system that works chances are they'll use it again and it becomes their calling card. The most common POE are first floor kitchen and bathroom windows that face allies, garages or private walkways. Make sure you remove all leveraging devices near these windows including paint buckets, step stools, chairs and ladders. If they can't reach the window, they can't climb through it. Most thiefs won't carry their own ladders around and most work alone because they don't want to share the loot, so there's no one to boost them up.

The most common MOE is pried windows. So many victims leave their windows open three or four inches secured by a twist lock. A juvenile or slim person can easily remove the screen and slip their entire forearm into that opening to unscrew the lock. Poof! Their through your window in about one minute. More people than I can believe also leave sliding glass doors in this manner or balcony doors unlocked. Burglars love that.

Video game systems are the most popular item stolen in my jurisdiction aside from cash. X-Box, WII, PlayStation can all be resold on the streets or to electronics stores that buy used systems for resale. Do not leave your system in plain view when you aren't home. Close the blinds of every window that the system is visible from. Thieves would rather see the target than take a chance.

Let's talk a bit about motive. The majority of house burglars are meth, marijuana or cocaine addicts who need to score cash for their next hit. They steal your stuff and pawn, fence or resell them on the black market. Since they must give personal information to pawn, burglars will often recruit other people to do it for them for a small price. That way the thief is not traceable to your stolen stuff. A smaller portion of burglars are gang members putting in work to finance their gang. They will liquidate your stuff the same way, but they'll use the money to buy guns and drugs for dealing instead.

These crooks are slick and many of them have perfected their crimes to a smooth operation. Most strike on weekdays during midmorning or early afternoon. You can help by being a good neighbor and looking for suspicious persons loitering in your area. I read many crime reports where neighbors saw the suspects removing flat screen TVs and assumed they were movers. Call the police anyway and let them sort it out. If you're wrong, no harm done. If you're right, you've just saved your neighbors a major headache and maybe picked some burglars off the street.

Lastly, use visible deterrents. Go ahead and put that goofy "Beware of Dog" sign on your gate or in your window whether you have a pet or not. Stick home security system signs in your lawn whether you have an alarm or not. The crooks don't know the difference and why take a chance when the house next door has no sign at all?

Enjoy the summer and try not to be paranoid, just be wise to the burglars tricks and respond accordingly! My tips are easy and inexpensive to implement. Isn't your home worth the trouble?

Next Time: What Should You Know About Home Invasion Robberies?

FBI Nails 400 Mortgage Fraudsters, Bear Stearns Indictments

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:28:00 +0000

The game’s over for 406 mortgage fraud defendants. The FBI’s Operation “Malicious Mortgage” ended yesterday after three months of investigating 144 mortgage fraud cases. It’s a sign of the times when the FBI creates special units to investigate mortgage fraud, which involves trickery to fund, purchase or insure mortgage loans.

Criminals who prey on people seeking the American dream and then leave them hanging by an unraveling thread while their own pockets swell are just bastards. Not only do they obliterate personal lives and families, their fraudulent crimes mess with our housing and credit markets and ultimately turned our economy upside down.

These crooks are sneaky smart and wear a cloak of professionalism. They're bankers, brokers, agents, your neighbor. Lending fraud involves conducting transactions based on lies about the borrower’s financial status, employment records or inflating property values. With the housing bubble bursting, foreclosure rescue scams have sky rocketed. The fraudsters contact struggling home owners and collect huge fees for fake foreclosure prevention services or convince them to sign over ownership with promises of bail outs that never happen. Both lending fraud and foreclosure scams feed into bankruptcy schemes that stay foreclosures.

Also breaking news is the federal indictment of two senior Bear Stearns Bank managers of hedge funds that tanked. Ralph Cioffi and Mathew Tannin are charged with conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud. Yay! The charges allege that the men marketed the funds backed by a pool of mortgages as low risk strategies. When they already knew the funds were at risk for collapse, they misrepresented the situation to prevent investor withdrawal. The funds did bomb and took investors for about $1.4 billion. Of course, indictments are no evidence of guilt and all are innocent until proven guilty, blah, blah, blah.

Morals of the story: 1) the Department of Justice is going after these yahoos, but investigations are very complex and lengthy; 2) always be weary of cold calls from "financial agencies" inquiring about your mortgage crisis. Do not sign any deed documents without seeking legal advice and don't pay fees up front for assistance with your debt. Work directly with your lender, instead. Beware of bastards. There are 406 less operating today, but no shortage of up and comers, I assure you.

Crime Update: Sixth Foot Found in Canadian Waters

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:37:00 +0000

No sooner did I publish my post on the five detached human feet floating ashore near Vancouver when reports of a sixth foot broke. This makes the fifth right foot, proving at least five bodies are missing their feet. Authorities have not yet linked the lone left foot found Monday to any of the right ones.

Talk of victims from a float plane crash in the area over three years ago no longer seems the answer as only four male bodies remain lost. One of the found feet last month was rumored to be in a women's running shoe. Also, DNA testing revealed no matches to any of the crash victims' family members.

The sixth foot was in a man's size 10 black Adidas running shoe. Someone found this foot near Campbell river, a ways north of the other five feet. Some sources report this foot has been "sawed off" rather than separated naturally at the ankle bone, but these statements come from witnesses without expertise rather than police.

What's puzzling from my perspective is the asymmetry of the recovered feet and the absence of other body parts that naturally detach and float after lengthy submersion, like heads and hands. This would be an unusual serial killer calling card scenario. These murderers commonly pose bodies, make distinct mutilations and leave the whole corpse behind or place a certain object at crime scenes. To toss severed feet into the bay for discovery would be different, to say the least. Anything's certainly possible, but I continue to believe the deaths were accidental at this point.

We'll see what washes up tomorrow...

Analyzing the Feet Washing Ashore in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Why are human feet washing ashore on the beaches near Vancouver? I've followed coverage of the detached feet that first appeared 11 months ago and total five with the first left foot found this week. This fifth foot presents the first opportunity to match a pair with DNA results. Authorities have not confirmed any links yet, other than all the feet wore socks and tennis shoes. Read further details of the Canadian feet investigation if you like. I'm discussing the evidence from a crime analyst's perspective.

Cases fall into three simple categories: foul play, natural causes and accidents. When bodies or their parts are discovered with unknown origins, it's standard to classify the case as criminal, like the British Columbian authorities did, until proven otherwise. Many blog entries and even a few hard news sources imply that the feet are evidence of murder or serial killings by someone with a foot fetish. I disagree.

People with fetishes keep their object of obsession precisely because of the fetish. A foot fetish murderer would not toss feet into the water and move on. Take Jerome Brudos, the shoe fetish slayer. He kept feet in his garage freezer and enjoyed trying high heels on them unbeknownst to his wife and children, until his fetish turned to breasts. He switched to amputating victims' breasts and making paperweights out of them. Talk about a cracked egg, huh?

Murder is still certainly a consideration. With five feet, we have potentially four or five victims. DNA can be extracted from bone since most soft tissue is compromised from the water and what lives in it. Authorities say the samples don't match any reported missing persons, and you can bet the database is national with cooperation from surrounding nations.

What's next after a DNA dead end? Detectives will closely examine the shoes - brand, wear and tear, size, sole, color, style and serial number. Just like any other industry, shoe manufacturers are very targeted in their product marketing and distribution. You'd be surprised how police can narrow down the source of the purchase just by these attributes. Wear patterns on the rubber soles will not be damaged by the water, giving detectives a good estimate of when the shoes were purchased allowing them to work backwards with shoe sellers, matching product to buyers, hoping the victims paid with credit or check. Police confirm two shoes were size 12 and one foot was in a men's Reebok . They no doubt determined if it was a running, walking or basketball shoe in a flash.

This is why I would be surprised if these individuals were murdered. Unless they are in a rush to dispose of bodies or want to leave calling cards, killers often strip victims of clothing and shoes or redress them in foreign clothing. Victims are often found nude for this reason, or because the crime has sexual overtones.

If someone had the time to weight bodies down to dispose of at sea, they'd also have a chance to remove as much evidence as possible, like shoes and clothing, especially a buoyant material like rubber. An accidental submersion makes more sense to me. Natural disasters as far back as the 2004 tsunami and as inconspicuous as boating accidents have been mentioned. Experts will study tide patterns and comb nautical agency logs for distressed or missing vessel reports.

Boats do sink without allowing for distress calls and people do go missing unnoticed. You'd be surprised how many individuals and families simply keep to themselves. How about missing employees or unpaid mortgages? Well, certain lifestyles can exclude these kinds of clues that something is wrong.

A few more theories are long shots, but investigators consider everything for elimination. "Go fast" boats are speed boats modified to transport narcotics across oceans. Coast Guard sharpshooters do fire from helicopters to knock out engines of boats smuggling cocaine. The Vancouver waterfront is of course not a major narcotics thoroughfare. Cultural research reveals the Islamic punishment for thievery of amputating hands and feet, but these feet reportedly do not show signs of forced removal.

I am drawn to the 2005 ferry crash in West Vancouver. Divers found no victims, but so many boats were plowed over that perhaps several lives were indeed lost. In any case, my eyeballs are pealed for developing information on this case. With the limited information I have, I believe the presumed deaths were accidental. What do you think?

I Love Snitches

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:38:00 +0000

This month celebrates the end of Bonnie and Clyde's violent rampage at the hands of the FBI 74 years ago. Guess how they were lured into the FBI's snare? If you think a snitch had something to do with it, you're exactly right. Snitches are beautiful creatures that respond so well to that selfish tendency to look out for number one. A smaller variety of snitch simply kicks into survival mode when faced with no alternative. Whatever the motive, I love snitches.

Well, let me clarify that. I love snitches that augment criminal investigations; the girl who times your lunch and tattles to the boss when you're five minutes late...not too much love for her.

Anyway, you can read about Bonnie and Clyde's adventures if you like, but I'm most interested in the snitching part. The two the FBI calls America's most notorious crime couple associated with the Methvin family of Louisiana. After a bit of convincing, the Methvins decided to join the good guys and help catch Bonnie and Clyde.

On May 23, 1934, officers hid in the bushes along a dirt road near Gibsland, Louisiana. Around nine a.m., Bonnie and Clyde drove up in their tan Ford. They slowed at the sight of their family friend, Ivy Methvin standing next to his truck that appeared broken down. Seconds later, Ivy jumped aside and the officers opened fire, killing Bonnie and Clyde instantly. Bravo, Mr. Methvin!

Law enforcement uses snitches in almost every type of investigation you can think of. Sometimes, informants are paid while others broker better sentencing deals for themselves, or complete immunity occasionally. Of course snitching is dangerous and provisions are in place to protect the informant as best as possible. Snitching is a death sentence on the streets, as you can imagine.

Still, people are willing and crooks know this. It makes for a healthy dose of paranoia on the dark side.

The Devil's Alive and Well in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sat, 24 May 2008 07:19:00 +0000

Judith Leekin adopted 12 disabled children. Noble, huh? Yeah. She then used their monthly subsidy checks for…herself. Tax payers are out $1.6 million intended to feed, clothe and care for handicapped kids in New York, officials said. Instead of diligently using the funds as they’re intended, ~~Satan~~ Leekin chose to support a lavish lifestyle for herself while imprisoning the 12 children in her basement, feeding them only Ramen noodles. The kids were not allowed outside and were only permitted into the house to use the bathroom or the kitchen. Some were even confined to their beds with plastic ties.

The FBI’s investigation resulted in a guilty plea to mail and wire fraud from Leekin yesterday. She could face up to 40 years in prison and a minimum $250,000 fine. Music to my ears.

Leekin ran this scheme for nearly 20 years, having adopted the children from 1988 – 1996 and only being discovered as a filthy crook in 2007. How so, you wonder? After adoptions of special needs kids are formalized, most states only require continued paperwork to receive the monthly checks, not home visits. Leekin cooked up fraudulent report cards for seven of the children, none of which ever attended school. She also submitted fake annual certification forms, among other things.

New York pays disabled subsidies to adoptive parents monthly for children through their 21st birthday, regardless of the new family's income. The adoptive family does not even have to live in New York to receive the funds. Leekin had recently moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she enjoyed a tropical estate while her children lived in a locked basement storage room.

I don’t know which is worse, the fact that she had 11 kids in her custody and used the money for herself or that she kicked the twelfth one out of her home in 2000 and continued accepting that child’s subsidies for seven more years, until she was discovered.

Who would let one woman adopt 12 disabled kids in the first place? Leekin misrepresented herself to authorities, using fake names, lying about her living conditions and the children she’d already adopted. Apparently, she’s either a real smooth operator or – surprise – there’s something inherently broken about the Department of Child Services, maybe a combination of both.

All I can say is, 1) I tried to adopt a dog and was rejected because I work full-time, this after I’d signed an application agreeing to spontaneous home visits up to one year post adoption, and 2) I know what happens to child abusers in prison. That makes me smile. Watch your back, Judith, literally.

Delete China

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:55:00 +0000

Have you received an official email urging donations to China earthquake relief funds, conveniently processed by PayPal? DELETE! The FBI reports the latest email scam targets the generosity of Americans who want to help Chinese earthquake victims.

The messages look very legitimate, as most e-scams do, including exact logos of PayPal and other trusted sites. Clicking on these links will redirect you to the crook's fraudulent cyber front, where you'll enter your PayPal info or other financial data to their delight.

The FBI advises the usual preventative measures for avoiding this email scam, such as deleting mail from unknown senders and never opening mysterious attachments, no matter how official they seem. Full story.

Spread the word to your network and make sure no one you care about gets taken advantage of.

Your Gas Tank is at Risk

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:48:00 +0000

If you live in America, you know all about the climbing price of gas. But, what about the nationwide crime trend born out of it? Crooks are puncturing gas tanks and draining your gas into buckets. In my jurisdiction, they mostly resell the gas at half the market price, although some use the gas themselves.

SUVs are prime targets since they sit higher off the ground, making it easier to climb underneath the vehicle and puncture the tank. The thieves use screwdrivers with hammers to poke holes, and some are even daft enough to use electric drills. We can only hope a little spark might ignite some of that stolen gas on its way into their buckets.

Two things you can do: first, get vandalism insurance on your car. I have an SUV and it would cost nearly $400 to replace my gas tank, plus labor. I added vandalism coverage to my auto insurance policy this week for about $4 extra per month. In most cases, this crime is considered vandalism rather than a theft because the damaged tank is not taken. So, for about $50 a year I’m covered for a stupid crime that would suck nearly $700 out of my pocket.

Second, keep your eyeballs pealed for people loitering with buckets or other containers in hand. They rarely use the traditional gas containers, usually those big white dry wall buckets, sometimes even the 35 pound plastic kitty litter buckets. These gas thieves have been caught on bikes and on foot hauling their buckets of gas; they’re not always in vehicles. Before I learned about this crime trend, I doubt I would have looked twice at some guy carrying a bucket around my neighborhood. Now I’ll call police to report a suspicious person.

Be a watchdog for your gas and your neighbor’s. Beware of bucket carriers.

Next Time: Academy Learning Series Begins! Why can your debit card lead to financial ruin? Subscribe and learn how to avoid this mess.

Where are You Most Likely to be Murdered?

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:09:00 +0000

Are you surprised by the top 10 countries for murder?

India
Russia
Colombia
South Africa
Mexico
America
Venezuela
Thailand
Ukraine
Indonesia

Okay, let's be fair. This list doesn't account for population size, just the number of murders reported. Still, there are a few countries in the top 10 murder list here that have only moderate populations. Check out the full list of 62 countries ranked. Can you guess which is #62 with only one reported murder during the two-year data period?

Next Time: How crooks are stealing gas and what to do about it. Subscribe and be informed!

Duped by Uninsured Drivers

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:24:00 +0000

Have you ever had a car accident? If so, you know how nerve wracking even the mildest fender bender can be. While your gathering your bearings, remember to take a photo of the other party's license plate right away. Use your cell phone camera, whatever, but do this even before you exchange information.

Taking the photo does two important things: first, it shows the other party you're no idiot and reduces the likelihood they might lie about their identity, if they're so inclined. Second, if they do go ahead and pull bull with you anyway, your photo of the plate gives the investigator a lot more to work with than the fake insurance card or ID they gave you to copy down.

Remember, police don't usually respond to the scene unless there are injuries or the vehicles are unable to move out of traffic. If the other driver is being hinky with you, you may need to inform the dispatcher you think you are injured or your vehicle is disabled, if you catch my drift.

Of course, there's a chance they are driving a stolen car in which the plate photo won't help you anyway. But at least give yourself a fighting chance and snap the shot.

Is Your Child a Drug Dealer?

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:55:00 +0000

When did you last fill your medication prescription? If you, like me, can't remember the date, then you don't know exactly how many pills should be left right now. When I'm low, I refill it and that's the end of it. If any of my pills are missing, the only culprits are my partners in crime - my cats Moby and Black Magic.

Your missing pills might be more sinister. Do you have kids aged 12 - 17? This is the most common age range for addiction to prescription pills taken right out of your medicine cabinet. Five or six pills removed from several full bottles are hardly noticeable, and your on the ball, right? Imagine your children's grandparents with numerous prescriptions and a little less attention to detail. Recipe for disaster.

No one wants to believe their child has crossed over to the dark side. But in crime analysis, ignorance is not bliss. Keep private records of when you fill your prescriptions and routinely count remaining pills. Hopefully all will check out. If something's fishy, consider this alarming trend of school kids bringing prescription drugs to campus. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says at least 2,500 children try a pain killer for the first time every day in the U.S.

I'm aware of children using the drugs and becoming addicted, selling the pills to classmates, or both. Besides the obvious dangers, children caught with prescription pills at school that they are not prescribed can face serious charges, like Class A felonies punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

"Pharming" parties are like Russian roulette without a gun. Kids bring the stolen pills to school and meet at a location where all the pills are poured into a bowl. They reach in, take a handful of unknown medication and see what happens; not the kind of "Truth or Dare" game from my childhood.

If your child takes ADHD medication, think twice about the trend I'm describing. Adderall is one of the most commonly sold and traded drugs on school campuses. Kids who have prescriptions have been approached to sell or trade their pills and they become walking talking medicine cabinets.

I hope your kids stay safe from this dangerous illegal activity. Help protect them by checking your stash regularly.

FLDS Cash Cows

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:03:00 +0000

There’s something sinister beneath the calm and placid demeanor of the Texas FLDS fembots. I’m not talking about the plural marriages, alleged statutory rapes or other emotional abuses. I’ve been researching the sect’s economics and it appears they’ve got the state by the balls, at least financially.

The patriarch and his first wife are legally married. Subsequent wives are bound to him spiritually, not legally. When the spiritual wives start their baby production train, they sign up for welfare as single moms with dependants. It’s legal and it’s a total rape of the system. FLDS members professed their moral purity on television all week long. This kind of financial scamming highlights the hypocrisy of their lifestyle and is just shameful; it’s also very smart.

Can you imagine the Yearning for Zion ranch mailboxes busting at the seams on the 15th of the month with hundreds of welfare checks? Ten years ago, the average welfare check in Texas paid the equivalent of a $7 per hour full-time job. Adjusted for cost of living increases and multiplied by about 200 women, that's a cool $300,000+ per month. The women turn the money over to the patriarchs who must surely pinch themselves. The men buy more land, build more compounds and bigger temples all the while paying no property taxes since the residences are considered religious grounds. Have you no shame, FLDS?

Apparently not. The group considers themselves doing God’s work and sees no harm in accepting financial aid from the outside if it allows them to flourish. Their compounds are literally self-sufficient with their own water treatment facility, grain fields and silos, schools and produce production. They take our money and contribute nothing in return to our society. So, it seems the ladies who look like caricatures of Mrs. Ingalls might have the last laugh after all.

Purse Snatches at the Pumps

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:43:00 +0000

How often have you hopped out of your car to pump gas, leaving your purse on the passenger seat with the doors unlocked? What's the harm when you're right next to your vehicle? Plenty, especially if you drive an SUV. Thieves look for unsuspecting women occupied with filling up their tanks. They pull up next to your car, quickly crawl out of their driver's side, open your unlocked passenger door and snatch your purse. SUV's are favorites because of the obstructed view of the passenger side when you're gassing up.

Away they go in less than four seconds. You won't even realize your belongings are gone until your door swings open as you drive away. So, always lock your doors and close windows when you exit your car for any reason, even as simple as pumping gas. It sounds ridiculous, maybe even paranoid, but it'll be even more ridiculous when you're trying to repair your credit after the thief shreds it with your stolen identity from your purse. Watch this video to see the slick crooks in action.

Spark Plugs Get Crooks Into Your Car

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:48:00 +0000

Ever find broken spark plug parts in your kid's backpack (please tell me you do check your child's backpack contents regularly) or pockets? Could be bad news. Crooks can swiftly break into your car by throwing broken spark plug ceramic insulators at tempered glass. The car window shatters with little noise and they're in.

When tossed against a window, the glass usually shatters inward minimizing the noise even more. Teenagers arrested for auto burglary in my jurisdiction frequently have loads of these broken insulators on them when they're caught. Crooks might salvage these from junkyards, steal them from auto parts stores or even spend the $7 bucks a plug to buy one legitimately.

So, two things to look out for: (1) store employees should be mindful of the same person frequently buying spark plugs. Something might stink about that. You can call your local law enforcement auto burglary division and advise them of the person's identity, if you know it; and, (2) parents, kids don't need spark plug insulators for anything except breaking into cars. I hope you don't find any.

Here's a video of how it works. (Be warned you'll hear an expletive.)

User Agreement

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:25:00 +0000

By reading my blog, you acknowledge that all material is presented as information only and is in no way intended to be professional advice or guaranteed to improve your personal safety or protect your possessions. My opinions are mine alone and are not affiliated with my employer. I gather data from many resources and cannot guarantee the accuracy of all figures or statements.

Comment Policy: Comments are currently open to any reader and post instantly. No hate speech, offensive language or otherwise inappropriate sentiments are allowed. Any comments I determine to fit that bill will be removed and repeat offenders will be banned from future commenting privileges.

I am not responsible for readers' comments, nor am I responsible for the outcome of any actions taken based on the information presented on this blog. Read at your own free will and take action at your own discretion.

Whew. Now let's get back to the good stuff, shall we?

Welcome Crime Fighter

noreply@blogger.com (Cat) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:07:00 +0000

Yes, that's you. Consider yourself part of my information army of crime fighters. The more you know about crooks and they way they do their dirty deeds the better prepared you are to keep them and their filthy activities at bay.

Can you hear the disdain in my voice? I hope so. I've worked in research for a metropolitan police department for 18 years and been a crime analyst there for the past eight. It's the best job in the world for people like me who want to catch crooks but are too chicken to patrol the streets. I use technology, research and plain old common sense to get the job done.

Besides a reasonable set of morals, my dislike for criminals is personal. My 70-year-old father was jogging at dusk on a summer evening many years ago. He was traveling a safe route around the elementary school my parents lived across for 35 years. Suddenly, two male assholes came up on him from behind and tried to rob him. My Dad didn't have any valuables on him, so they beat him on the head and face, knocking him down to the ground. They went through his pockets and, by the grace of God, did not find his house key.

Now, my father is a brave man. He survived worse than this in his life, including World War II and malaria three times. But this assault changed something for my parents; the invasion of our safety zone destroyed peace of mind that could not be regained. My parents moved away from our home, my childhood neighborhood of 30 years, shortly after. All because of two thug clowns looking for a few bucks for their next fix. So, I have a special place in my heart for robbers - evil losers with warped senses of entitlement.

I've come to terms with the fact that bad things happen in this world and embraced the power I have to make a difference in my own little corner of it. I'd like to share my tips with you and hope you'll share what you learn with everyone you know. We can take the dastards down, one post at a time.