My Philly Daily On Crime Column: FBI To Expand Quantum Information Science And Technology Counterintelligence Protection Team

 Philly Daily ran my On Crime column today on the FBI leading the Quantum Information Science and Technology Counterintelligence Protection Team.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Paul Davis: FBI to expand Quantum Information Science and Technology Counterintelligence Protection Team – Philly Daily  

Although I spend most of my day working the computer and phone at my desk in my book-lined basement office, my computer skills are somewhat limited.

But I received a primer on quantum computers when I interviewed David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist and the author of “The Quantum Spy” back in 2018. I don’t subscribe to his political views, but I think he is a fine newspaper columnist and author.

David Ignatius’s “The Quantum Spy,” is, as the title suggests, a spy thriller. The thriller describes the espionage race for a quantum computer between the U.S. and Communist China.        

I was able to follow the quantum computer science backdrop to “The Quantum Spy,” as David Ignatius did a fine job of explaining the basic technology involved in quantum computing and why it is vital that the United States builds a quantum computer before China, America’s adversary, builds one.

David Ignatius’s fictional CIA director explains that quantum science is a paradigm shift. “It’s like Galileo and Newton. It will change everything. A quantum computer would simultaneously explore every answer to a problem, creating a tool of immense, almost infinite computational power.”

So I was interested to see the FBI state their new lead role in quantum information science and technology.

According to the FBI, quantum information science and technology (QIST) -based on the field of quantum mechanics – has the potential to create revolutionary advances in science and engineering. But while these advancements have promising applications—from military to medicine to economic—that promise also makes them an attractive target for adversaries who seek to damage U.S. national and economic security.

In response to the global race to develop quantum technologies, a new executive order, Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation, calls for a government-wide effort to expand and protect the U.S. quantum ecosystem through quantum innovation, private sector cooperation, and international partnership in pursuit of a quantum computer—which could theoretically process calculations exponentially faster than any existing computer.

The FBI noted that the new executive order has tasked the FBI to lead and expand the Quantum Information Science and Technology Counterintelligence Protection Team (QCPT) to improve and coordinate protections against adversarial and cybersecurity threats to the QIST ecosystem, coordinate public messaging and outreach related to those threats, and enhance sharing of threat information with federal, industry, and academic QIST research and development entities. 

"Historically, the FBI is very good at solving theft of trade secrets and economic espionage cases, and working with DOJ to prosecute them," explained Supervisory Special Agent Wes Wollard. "However, the goal of our team is to proactively posture ourselves ‘left of theft’ to help prevent theft of quantum research and technologies."

Quantum mechanics examines the properties and behaviors of the smallest particles that make up everything around us, the FBI explained. In the quantum world - at the scale of molecules, atoms, and electrons - the laws of physics become peculiar and behave differently than in the physical world we can see. GPS systems, MRI technology, and the lasers that enable today's internet are examples of technology developed thanks to quantum mechanics.

“But in the emerging field of QIST, researchers are further exploring how to control the behavior of these quantum systems to create next-generation technologies for imaging, sensing, computing, modeling, and communication. QIST could give rise to the quantum computer—computers that can perform certain mathematical computations impossible for traditional computers—which scientists theorize could advance research in communication networks, new drugs, new materials, more defined medical imaging, microelectronics, and semiconductors. The full range of potential applications of quantum computers and technology is unknown,” the FBI explained. 

"At a simple level, QIST has the potential for very significant economic and national security impact. The greatest threat is the potential for adversarial development of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) -one which could break current widely used encryption methods -which would allow our adversaries to elicit everything from the most sensitive secrets of our nation, to secure financial transactions and communications, and even decrypt previously harvested encrypted data," said Wollard. "As a result, there’s a sense of immediacy for us to address these risks."

The QCPT serves as an interagency team tasked with protecting the U.S. quantum information science and technology ecosystem.

"The QCPT was created via White House policy as a new approach to partnering with industry, academia, and federal partners to ensure U.S. leadership in quantum research and development," said Wollard. "With academia and industry leading innovation in this field, the U.S. government recognized that we needed to partner with those entities in a new way."

“Partnerships are vital - the threat from foreign intelligence adversaries has become increasingly complex as they employ an all-tools approach that includes non-traditional collectors, economic and academic influence, and other asymmetric intelligence operations. As a result, no single U.S. counterintelligence agency can fully understand or mitigate these operations on its own,” the FBI stated. 

Wollard explained that the FBI’s role in leading the QCPT is to "bring together key counterintelligence and security agencies protecting quantum under one team with unified lines of effort and a strategy to ultimately protect the U.S. quantum ecosystem from adversarial threats.”

The FBI works to achieve this by: 

• hardening the ecosystem through threat awareness and promotion of best practices across security disciplines
• actioning intelligence to mitigate vulnerabilities and threats
• promoting collaboration and information sharing within the U.S. government and with like-minded nations

The QCPT is embedded within and the National Counterintelligence Task Force (NCITF), which brings the counterintelligence and security components of the U.S. government under one roof, allowing QCPT to collaborate with the full suite of the U.S. government's protection apparatus.

"As a field counterintelligence agent, a lot of our time is spent doing two things, protecting classified information of state secrets and protecting economic information and intellectual property," said Supervisory Special Agent Sean Miner. "Quantum really covers both of those areas. And so, it fits really snugly right into what makes up the bulk of a field counterintelligence agent in the FBI protection responsibilities."

Note: You can read my Counterterrorism magazine interview with David Ignatius via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: The Quantum Spy: My Q&A With Spy Novelist And Washington Post Columnist David Ignatius

Paul Davis’s On Crime column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine.

FBI: Foreign Virtual Targeting Using Online Job Offers To Recruit Insiders

The FBI released a warning about virtual targeting via offers to recruit insiders:  

Recruiter: “We are impressed by your government experience. We’d like to offer you paid consulting work.”

Federal retiree: “Consulting? What kind of work?”

The message sounded like a perfect opportunity. A recently retired military analyst wanting to stay professionally active was approached online by someone claiming to represent an international consulting company.

The recruiter praised the analyst’s expertise and offered flexible, remote assignments writing short reports. The work appeared harmless. The pay was generous. The recruiter seemed professional.

But the opportunity was not what it seemed.

“Foreign intelligence services frequently use professional networking websites, social media platforms, and job boards to identify and target individuals under the guise of consulting or employment,” said Roman Rozhavsky, the assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.

The tactic is known as virtual targeting, a strategy that some foreign intelligence services use to find new intelligence sources. Instead of meeting in person, foreign actors use online platforms to identify and recruit individuals with access to sensitive or classified information.

Using false online identities, they may pose as recruiters, consulting firm representatives, researchers, or analysts to establish professional relationships and collect information that supports their intelligence objectives.

Foreign intelligence services rely heavily on online platforms because they provide direct access to potential targets. Among U.S. foreign adversaries, China is by far the most prolific practitioner.

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

 Foreign Virtual Targeting — FBI                         

Five Men Arrested And Charged In Plot To Attack And Kill Government Officials And Others Attending The Ultimate Fighting Championship At White House

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information and photos:

The Justice Department announced today charges against five men for an alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House last Sunday. 

The FBI launched an investigation into the plot and identified a group of conspirators who procured weapons and made plans to carry out the attack. The FBI made arrests over the weekend in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California. The investigation remains ongoing.

“The FBI, our law enforcement partners and our U.S. Attorneys did what they do every day to make America Safe through quick response and vigilance in investigating, disrupting, and dismantling this alleged plan before it could be carried out,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence.”

“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region — and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team — we are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight. That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”

“Protecting the President of the United States and the White House grounds is priority number one for the U.S. Secret Service,” said Director Sean M Curran of the U.S. Secret Service. “The landscape has changed, and as a result we have seen a dramatic rise in threats against our protectees. I am proud of the men and women of the Secret Service that vigorously monitor, investigate, and arrest those that plot to interfere with our protective mission. We are grateful for our extraordinary partnerships we share with DHS, DOJ, Acting Attorney General Blanche, FBI-JTTF, Park Police, and DC Police.”

According to the charges, Tycen C. Proper (seen in the above photo) , 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California; Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri; and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, conspired to plan and execute a mass casualty event targeting U.S. officials in attendance at UFC Freedom 250 hosted on the White House grounds. The conspirators allegedly planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC Freedom 250 event in order to force an evacuation of the event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon “high value targets” within the fleeing crowd.

Tycen Proper

According to filed complaints in the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Nebraska, and the Central District of California, investigators interviewed Proper at a medical facility on June 11. During the interview, he allegedly said he had planned with others a coordinated attack against the U.S. government during the UFC event at the White House. He said members of the group who wanted to participate in the attack began communicating with each other around March. More serious members of the group, including Proper, moved their communications to an encrypted chat app. They planned to fly small drones with explosives to detonate over the north side of the UFC arena, forcing high value targets to evacuate the premises; the group would then act as snipers and shoot these individuals. Before executing the plan, Proper and other conspirators allegedly planned to rendezvous in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Screenshot of messages and maps on Proper’s phone, from the complaint filed in the Central District of California.

Screenshot of messages and maps on Proper’s phone, from the complaint filed in the Central District of California.

Proper allegedly amassed firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear at his home in Ohio, and he identified potential targets, including multiple members of Congress. 

A photo of Proper’s gun, from the complaint filed in the Central District of California.

Bryan Roa

According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Roa’s residence and vehicle where they allegedly seized a rifle, handgun, tactical belt, ammunition and a rifle magazine, a two-way radio, and an infrared laser target pointer. A search of Roa’s phone allegedly found messages in a group with Thomas, Proper, and others discussing an attack at the UFC event at the White House, with some users discussing using drones rigged with explosives to initiate the attack, with rooftop snipers killing individuals. Law enforcement also allegedly found Instagram videos Roa had posted of himself shooting guns.

Roa’s Instagram post of him shooting guns, from the complaint filed in the Central District of California.

Michael Thomas

According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, Thomas allegedly participated in a group chat planning an attack at the UFC event at the White House. In a group chat, on June 7, he allegedly wrote “$1300 gets us the drones and the charges. Yes we should all pitch in and we need it asap…” 

In another group chat, Thomas, under a pseudonym, allegedly described “tiers” of operators within their anti-government group, with tier 1 being operators on the ground, tier 2 being drivers and drone operators, tier 3 being logistical suppliers, and tier 4 being social media influencers. “Tier one status is not something to take lightly. … We will make sure they have…All the tier 2 support we can provide. We will try to break them out of jail if we need to.” In the same group chats, Thomas discussed meeting with Roa in person in Southern California in order to conduct “marksmen training” and reflected that the group needed to train for “gorilla style warfare.”

In a June 13 search warrant, FBI agents allegedly seized from Thomas’ residence a rifle, 30-round extended magazines for the rifle, 180 of rounds of ammunition, and a pistol. 

Daniel Eskridge

Eskridge was charged with conspiracy to commit murder on White House grounds. According to an affidavit filed in the Western District of Missouri, the FBI identified Eskridge while reviewing electronic communications on Proper’s cell phone. The co-conspirators had electronic chats on encrypted social media platforms. In those chats, members of the group allegedly discussed assassinating several U.S. Senators, Representatives, and prominent business executives. Members of the group targeted some legislators based on the group’s perceived belief that the legislators accepted money from pro-Israel lobbies. When discussing potential targets, Eskridge indicated that the target was “big and someone a majority of the country knows.” In the discussions, power grids were also identified as potential targets. On May 22, Eskridge distributed a picture of tactical equipment, including a rifle, helmet, and ballistic vest. The photograph is below.

Photo of tactical equipment from Eskridge, from the affidavit filed in the Western District of Missouri.

Also according to the affidavit, in a separate chat group, a conversation took place in early June when Eskridge and some of the other chat group members discussed their plan to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event. Specifically, Thomas stated, “Pensilvania [sic] avenue.” Eskridge said the group should obtain $1,300 in U.S. currency and they needed “5 teams of 3 each team consisting of 1 sniper, 1 tier one operator as support/ look out, [and] one drone operator.” Eskridge said the money would provide them the funding to purchase “drones and charges,” and encouraged the group to all “pitch in.” On June 13, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant of Eskridge’s residence. Agents recovered rifles, a shot gun, pistol, and other tactical gear. 

A photograph of the equipment from the June 13 search is below:

Tactical gear recovered by the FBI from a June 13 search of Eskridge’s residence, from the affidavit filed in the Western District of Missouri.

Abraham Alvarez

According to the charges filed in Nebraska, the FBI identified Alvarez as the individual using the name “Shepherd” in an encrypted chat app that was used to plan an attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event scheduled to be held at the White House on June 14. The FBI assessed that Alvarez, also known as “Shepherd,” was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack, based on conversation excerpts in June when Shepherd posted, “This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river.” Shepherd also allegedly posted other messages including replying to another member on making drones with explosives, “As many and as deadly as we can get.”; that he was working on drones; and had one drone and was working on more.

The complaint further alleges that Shepherd provided a picture and directions for a safe zone at an old church in Nebraska. He instructed the other members to take back roads or the river down to the “pick up location.” Later that same evening, Shepherd also provided locations in the area for drone launch points and sniper positions.

Screenshot of a church, sent by Alvarez, “Shepherd,” to encrpyted chat group, from the complaint filed in the District of Nebraska.

If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.                                        

American Citizen Pleads Guilty To Working As An Agent For The People's Republic Of China

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), pleaded guilty today to acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.

“In effect, Pauken admitted to being part of a conspiracy to obtain sensitive information from the U.S. government for the PRC,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His actions are a betrayal of this Nation and pose an unacceptable risk to our national security. NSD remains committed to safeguarding information essential to our national security, including through appropriate prosecution.”

“By his own admission, not only did Thomas Pauken attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security, but he gathered intelligence on his American targets and reported it back to his Chinese intelligence handlers,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice.”

According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.

Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), with information.

Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.

Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.

Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

Note: The Assistant Attorney General's quote has been updated from the previous version

                                                                                                    

The Mayor Was A Spy: Arcadia, California, Mayor Federally Charged With Acting As Illegal Agent Of The People’s Republic of China

 The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

The mayor of Arcadia, California, has been charged in federal court with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Justice Department announced today.

Eileen Wang, 58, of Arcadia, is charged via information with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government.

In a related filing, Wang has agreed to plead guilty to the felony count, which comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

She is expected to make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Wang is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks.

Wang was elected in November 2022 to the Arcadia City Council, a five-person governing body from which the mayor is selected on a rotating basis.

“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”

“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”

“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Let this serve as a clear warning: individuals who act on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. Protecting the rule of law and the transparency of our democratic process remains at the core of the FBI’s mission, and we will continue working alongside our partners to safeguard the integrity of our elections and keep hostile actors from undermining the voices of the American people.”

According to her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, California, worked at the direction and control of PRC government officials and coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States. Sun is serving a four-year federal prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.

Wang and Sun worked together to operate U.S. News Center, a website that purported to be a news source for the local Chinese American community. Wang and Sun received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website.

For example, in June 2021, a PRC official contacted Wang and other individuals via the WeChat encrypted messaging application with pre-written news articles, including a PRC official-written essay in the Los Angeles Times that stated: “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development[.]”

Minutes later, Wang posted the article on her own website and responded to the PRC official with a link to the article on her website. The others in the group chat did the same. The PRC official responded: “So fast, thank you everyone.”

In August 2021, Wang and three other members of the same group chat shared links to the same article on their respective “news” websites, after which the PRC official thanked them for their “reporting.” At the PRC official’s request, Wang made edits to the article, sent the official a link to the article reflecting the requested change, then sent the official a screenshot showing the article had been viewed 15,128 times. In response, the official messaged, “Great!,” Wang replied, “Thank you leader.”

In November 2021, Wang communicated with John Chen, a high-level member of the PRC intelligence apparatus, who regularly attended elite Chinese Communist Party functions, including military parades, and met personally with PRC President Xi Jinping, according to court documents. Wang asked Chen to post a “news” article from her website, and wrote, “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send.”

Chen was sentenced in November 2024 to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York to acting as an illegal agent of the PRC and conspiracy to bribe a public official.   

Wang admitted in her plea agreement that she did not notify the Attorney General that she was acting in the United States as an agent of the PRC, that she was located in the United States when she engaged in these acts, and that did she not disclose on her website that some of its content had been posted at the direction of members of the PRC government.

The FBI is investigating this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen for the Central District of California is prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.                                                                                

Chinese National Pleads Guilty Yo Elder Fraud Scheme

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

SAN DIEGO – Danxiu Wang, a Chinese national residing in California, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting she participated in an international fraud and money laundering scheme that tricked more than 40 elderly victims out of more than $1.2 million.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this case arises from an investigation into a call center scam that targeted elderly individuals in California and elsewhere in the United States in May 2025. According to charging documents, Wang and others used the following methods to defraud the victims:

• Technical support scam: Scammers pose as legitimate tech support representatives, claiming a victim’s computer or account has been compromised and tricking them into paying for unnecessary or fake repairs.
• Refund scam: Fraudsters contact victims with claims they are owed a refund, then manipulate them into providing banking information or transferring money under the guise of correcting a supposed overpayment.
• Bank impersonation scam: Criminals impersonate banks or financial institutions through calls, texts, or emails, creating a false sense of urgency to pressure victims into revealing sensitive information or moving funds to fraudulent accounts.

Wang admitted in her plea agreement that she met victims in-person to collect the funds. She kept a percentage of the fraud proceeds before passing the remainder on to other members of the conspiracy.  

Wang is scheduled to be sentenced June 15, 2026, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez.

If you or someone you know is 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

The FBI requests that victims report:

• The name of the person or company that contacted you.
• Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
• Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient’s name(s).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Brooks.

DEFENDANT                                    Case Number 25cr4149-LL-1                                 

Danxiu Wang                                      Age: 30                                              San Gabriel, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation 

Feds Warn Of Holiday Identity Theft, Online Shopping Scams, And Charity Fraud

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on the Feds warnings about holiday scams.

You can read the column via the link below or the text below:

Davis: Feds warn of holiday identity theft, online shopping scams, and charity fraud - Philly Daily  

It’s a sad commentary, but during the holiday season, when most of us are thinking of family and friends and of goodness and joy, there are heartless crooks looking to take advantage of one’s goodness by scamming them. 

On December 3rd at a Security Summit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the 10th National Tax Security Awareness Week hopes to raise awareness about tax-related identity theft and scams as the holidays and the upcoming tax season approach.

The Security Summit is a coalition of the IRS, state tax administrators, tax software companies, the tax professional community and others in the larger tax community, organized to combat tax-related identity theft through a public-private sector partnership that strengthened internal protections and raised awareness about security threats.

“With the holiday shopping season underway and tax season quickly approaching, we are urging taxpayers and tax professionals to take extra steps to protect their financial and tax information,” said IRS CEO Frank Bisignano. “During this holiday season, people face the heightened risk of identity theft as criminals ramp up efforts to trick people into sharing sensitive personal information: identity thieves might use this information to try filing false tax returns and stealing refunds.”

The IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.

The IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.

As the IRS and the Summit partners have strengthened their systems, identity thieves have increasingly turned their attention to stealing underlying tax and financial information from taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals in hopes of slipping authentic-looking tax returns through the defenses. 

“There has been an increase of these activities on social media, including inaccurate tax advice that continues to mislead taxpayers. To help counter this, many of the Security Summit partners have joined together to form the Coalition Against Scam and Scheme Threats. This group will be increasingly active during the upcoming tax season,” the IRS stated.

 “A key tool in identifying and defending against these identity theft scams is the Identity Theft Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which was developed by the IRS and Security Summit partners to better identify and coordinate against fraudsters. As the group has strengthened defenses inside the tax system to spot emerging scams, identity thieves continue to look for new ways to obtain sensitive personal financial information to file fraudulent tax returns, making tax professionals and the sensitive tax information of their clients a target for scam artists.”

The IRS and Security Summit partners want taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses to be extra aware during the upcoming holiday season for the threats listed below.

• 
  Social media scams: Bad tax advice on social media can mislead taxpayers about their credit or refund eligibility. Influencers may convince taxpayers to lie on tax forms or suggest the IRS is keeping a tax credit secret from them. Social media posts may put taxpayers in touch with scammers.
• Phishing and smishing: The IRS frequently warns against phishing emails and smishing texts, which are common tactics used by criminals to steal personal and financial information. The impersonator wants taxpayers to send them money. Opening links and attachments may harm their computer.
• Protection for seniors: Scammers target people over age 65 or nearing retirement for personal or financial information or money. Often, once seniors give them money, they ask for more. When scammers trick them to withdraw from their retirement account, it could affect their taxes.
• Protection for businesses and tax professionals: The IRS reminds tax professionals of their legal obligation to have a Written Information Security Plan and to use multi-factor authentication. Businesses are also advised to update their security measures and remain vigilant against cyberattacks.
• Identity Protection PIN: An identity protection PIN is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using a taxpayers Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number. If taxpayers don't already have an IP PIN, they may get an IP PIN as a proactive step to protect themselves from tax-related identity theft. Anyone with an SSN or an ITIN can get an IP PIN including individuals living abroad.                                             

·         The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also issued warnings about holiday scams.

·       “Scammers are everywhere online – especially on social media,” the FTC stated. “They sometimes impersonate real companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. But if you click the link in the ad, it could send you to a “scammy” website designed to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item, something that looks completely different from the picture in the ad, or nothing at all.”

·         When you’re shopping online, the FTC stated, here are some ways to protect yourself during the holidays and year-round:

• Do some research. Before you buy, search online for the seller’s name and the website URL the ad sends you to, plus words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam” to see what others have to say.
• Pay by credit card, when possible. If you’re charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company. And if the seller says you can only pay with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, it’s probably a scam.
• Keep records. If something goes wrong, having your receipt and order confirmation number can help you get your money back from the seller. Also, sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will — or give you the chance to get your money back.

If you think you were scammed, file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The FBI field office in Philadelphia notes that the holidays are underway, and with charitable giving and online shopping surging, the FBI reminds communities to stay alert for schemes designed to steal your money and personal information.

“The holiday season is a time to bring people together, but scammers are working to separate you from your money and personal information,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Whether you are shopping, connecting with loved ones, or looking to give back, there are small, but important steps everyone can take to better protect themselves online: if you didn’t call them, don’t tell them—never share personal or banking information on an unsolicited call; If the link is a mystery, the risk isn’t — don’t click unrequested links; use secure payment methods; and verify charitable organizations before donating. If you have any doubt, reach out—call the FBI at 1800-CALL-FBI or report it at IC3.gov.

“If a deal you find this holiday season seems a little too good to be true, it probably is.”

Some of the most common holiday shopping scams reported to the FBI include:

• 
  Non-delivery scams, where you, as a buyer, pay for goods or services you find online, but you never receive your items.
• Non-payment scams, where you, as a seller, ship purchased goods or services, but you never receive payment for them.
• Gift card fraud, where a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card.

The FBI Philadelphia field office also reminds the public of the charity fraud scams criminals deploy this time of year to cash in on your kindness.

“Charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead your charitable donation goes to the fake charity’s creator. Scammers can contact you in many forms, from e-mails, text messages, cold calls and social media,” the FBI stated.

Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Murder-For-Hire Targeting A Journalist On Behalf Of The Iranian Government

 The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

The Justice Department announced on October 30^th that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,”  a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ in prison for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran.  In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentences.

“The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York.” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.  “Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her.  This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”

“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.  “The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn.  Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message:  the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”

“This sentencing marks a victory for justice and a clear warning to those who seek to export repression onto U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The plot, orchestrated by the Iranian government to assassinate a dissident living in America, demonstrates the lengths to which authoritarian actors will go to silence voices of freedom. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the homeland from anyone who participates in transnational repression and threatens our democratic values.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.   

After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her.  The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address.  Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her.  AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.

In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her.  Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV.  AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad.  On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.”  On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today.  I told them to make a birthday present for me.  I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.”  As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.

After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money.

In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.