Operation "Web Snare"
Operation Web Snare
represents a coordinated initiative targeting an expansive array of Cyber
Crime schemes victimizing individuals and industry worldwide. This initiative
highlights numerous investigations that have been successfully advanced
through cooperation and coordination of law enforcement, and a growing
list of industry partners.
Cases included in
Operation Web Snare exemplify the growing volume and character of Cyber
crimes confronting law enforcement, and also underscores the continuing
commitment of law enforcement to aggressively pursue Cyber criminals,
both domestically and abroad. Focused efforts to pursue Cyber criminals
internationally, has led to the development of enhanced proactive capabilities
in several countries, and numerous investigative successes highlighted
within this initiative. The development of international resources is
closely coordinated with the DOJ, the U.S. State Department and a growing
list of E-Commerce industry partners.
Criminal schemes included
in this initiative include: criminal spam, phishing, spoofed or hijacked
accounts, international re-shipping schemes, Cyber-extortion, auction
fraud, credit card fraud, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Computer
Intrusions (hacking), economic espionage (Theft of Trade Secrets), International
Money Laundering, Identity Theft, and a growing list of “traditional
crimes” that continue to migrate on-line.
The substantial accomplishments
captured in this initiative are attributable to the growing number of
joint Cyber-crime task forces established across the U.S. Over the past
year, more than 50 such task forces have either been established or significantly
augmented with resources from numerous federal, state, and local agencies.
Substantial industry partnerships developed in coordination with associations
such as the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the Merchants Risk Council
(MRC), the Business Software Alliance (BSA), and the Software and Information
Industry Association (SIIA) also contributed significantly to the success
of this initiative. Operation Web Snare has been coordinated at the Federal
level with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and the
Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Numerous state and local
law enforcement agencies contributed significantly to this initiative
as well. State and Local participation in this effort was amplified in
coordination with The National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
Operation Web Snare
includes more than 150 investigations, in which more than 870,000 victims
lost more than $210 million dollars. Through these investigations more
than 300 subjects were targeted, resulting in 100 arrests/convictions,
116 indictments, and the execution of more than 130 search/seizure warrants.
Although significant in number, these investigations represent only a
fraction of the Cyber crime problem, underscoring not only the need for
sustained law enforcement focus, but the continuing development of expanded
industry partnerships as well.
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