Inside ICE: Volume 2, Issue 5

ICE Warns Against Net Scams

ICE has issued a warning to the public about two new Iraq-related Internet scams targeting Americans, both of which falsely claim a connection to ICE.

One of the scams is directed at the relatives of fallen U.S. soldiers in Iraq and contains a link to the ICE homepage. In the other, the sender claims to be an ICE agent in Iraq tracking Saddam Hussein’s assets.

“These new Internet fraud schemes are among the worst we have ever encountered,” said Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia. “Most troubling is the fact that some are targeting the relatives of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. We are also concerned about the fact that these criminals are impersonating ICE agents and referring to ICE’s official Web site in an effort to steal money from Americans who have lost loved ones. Those who receive these bogus e-mail solicitations should ignore and delete them.”

The first scheme involves e-mail sent to relatives of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. Claiming to be a volunteer working with U.S. forces, the sender states that a late friend, who was also a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, was a very good friend of the relatives’ slain son or daughter. The sender then goes on to ask for assistance in obtaining funds kept for them by the deceased friend. The sender says they will provide more details when the relative returns their email. The sender then adds a link to ICE’s actual Web site, the portion of which discusses ICE operations in Iraq.

In the second scheme, a blanket e-mail is being distributed which claims to be from an “Immigration and Customs Enforcement” official in Iraq who is responsible for tracking down funds looted from the Iraqi Central Bank by Saddam Hussein’s son. The sender lists ICE’s Web site address in the e-mail in an effort to establish bona fides. The sender then asks for confirmation of the e-mail address of the recipient for as the sender states “there is a very important and confidential matter which I want us both to discuss.”

The public should know that these solicitations are not associated with any ICE personnel or activities, and further, that the public should not respond or provide any personal or financial information to anyone who makes such an overture. The ICE Cyber Crimes Center in northern Virginia and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility in Washington, D.C., are investigating these Internet fraud schemes.

It is true that ICE agents assigned to the U.S. Central Command did conduct investigative operations in Iraq for many months after the U.S. invasion as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among other activities, ICE agents conducted financial investigations that resulted in the seizure of $32 million in U.S. currency in Iraq. ICE agents also traced the serial numbers from the roughly $756 million in U.S. currency and 90 million Euros seized by the U.S. military in April 2003.

The ICE probe revealed that Saddam Hussein had written a letter to the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq on March 19, 2003, in which he authorized his son to withdraw $920 million in the U.S. currency and 90 million Euros from the bank.

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Inside ICE is an e-newsletter produced by the ICE Office of Public Affairs to inform the public about the mission, operations and activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Please send comments and contributions to Russ Bergeron, Editor.

425 I St NW
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Russ Bergeron, Editor
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Russ.Bergeron@dhs.gov