Debbie Deem FBI Victim Specialist Los Angeles dldeem@fbi

1. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

2. Out Of The Shadows: Assisting Older Adult Victims of Online Romance Scams-A Type of Cyber Intimate Partner Exploitation Debbie Deem FBI Victim Specialist Los Angeles dldeem@fbi.gov Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

3. Objectives • Participants will learn to identify red flags in identifying a potential romance scam • Participants will be able to identify three ways in which the impact of these crimes can be devastating to a victim • Participants will be able to identify the importance of reporting to www.ic3.gov and www.ftc.gov, in addition to local authorities • Participants will be able to list three services that may assist an older victim of an internet romance scam based on identified needs Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

4. “A criminal is committing malpractice if he or she is not using the Internet …. Especially to target, trick, take and traumatize vulnerable victims.” Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

5. Catfish • A catfish is someone who creates a false online identity for the purpose of getting someone to fall in love. • Catfishing is common on social networking and online dating sites. Sometimes a catfish's sole purpose to engage in a fantasy. • Sometimes, however, the catfish’s intent is to defraud a victim, seek revenge or for identity theft. • Either way, a catfish exploits the fact that people are often willing to ignore warning signs…… Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

6. What Is An Internet Romance Scam? • When you think you’ve met the perfect partner through an online dating website, through social media or app, but the other person (scammer predator) uses a fake profile to form a relationship with you, to obtain your trust to deceive you for financial gain and power to control. • They use the site to gain your trust and ask you for money or enough personal information to steal your identity, or groom you into illegally transferring money/drugs as a money mule (money laundering). Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

7. Incidence Issues • Most victims may not report to police– why? • Importance on where/when to report • IC3.gov + local police+ bank (1st 72 hours) • Role of APS? • Seen as ‘outside the criminal justice system • Transnational crime-jurisdictional issues • Very difficult to trace • Lack of victim service agencies • VOCA Funding issues Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

8. www.IC3.gov Incidence Report 2018 • Internet Crime Complaint Center • The largest individual crime by loss amount reported was romance scams- • In US approx. 14,500 victims reporting losses of almost $220 million, nationwide. • California (CA) • In 2016, 1,595 victims reported losses of approximately $30.5 million dollars • In CA, persons over 60 reported losses for all Internet crime was highest of all states- almost $92 million dollars Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

9. Possible Impact? • Divorce and family alienation. • Isolation from friends. • Loss of home/foreclosure. • Bankruptcy and tax repercussions. • Retirement funds, pension, children’s college funds, inheritance, loss of income, incurring other debts. • Quality of long term care, decline in physical health, premature institutionalization, and death • Anger, depression, shame • Self medication- alcohol or prescription drugs • Loss of trust in own ability to make judgments. • Trust in other people, sense of betrayal. • Loss faith govt institutions will protect them, provide justice • Risk taking vs withdrawal daily life. • Vulnerable to mooch lists, recovery scams, credit repair, & other future re-victimization. • Increase in risk taking behavior to recover funds. • Loss of faith in God/religion. • Desire to live-/future orientation. • Suicide, suicidal ideation. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

10. Why are Older Adults Targeted? • Financially stable - nest egg, may have excellent credit, own home, often lonely- widowed or divorced • Financially inexperienced;fixed income • Easily intimidated; poor witness due to aging factors. • On guard against violent crime not financial • Emotional targeting and ‘seduction/befriending’ by the predator Don’t understand nature of the technology being used against them. Need for connection/intimacy often lacking in life. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

11. “Your World Dies Before You Do” • SCAN online survey 1000 adults 65 and older on loneliness. • 82% knew someone lonely • 58% said the would be reluctant to admit if they were lonely • 57% said no close friends • 24% said they no longer feel important to anyone. • New York Times –loneliness is a growing trend among older adults-affecting emotional, physical and mental health, accelerates cognitive decline • I/3 adults over 65 live alone • ½ of those over 85 live alone Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

12. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) • In 2011, the Alzheimer’s Association updated criteria for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). • Consensus that AD has a ‘preclinical’ stage, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is rarely diagnosed. • MCI doesn’t necessarily lead to AD or other dementia. • Dementia is cognitive decline that interferes with daily life. • Some experts believe this is a very important risk factor for elder financial exploitation. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

13. Undue Influence • Exploiters use emotional vulnerability of the victims and dependence by endearing themselves to victims to get them to comply with their demands, gain trust • Victims of coercion-may feel pressure to do what told • Victims of undue influence may not even be aware they are being manipulated, and may defend or collude with the perpetrator (Nerenberg) Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

14. Age Associated Financial Vulnerability (AAFV) • Writing in Annals of Internal Medicine, Dr. Lachs and Dr. Han define ‘age-associated financial vulnerability’ (AAFV) as: • A pattern of risky behavior related to money that places an older adult at substantial risk for a considerable loss of resources that might result in dramatic changes in their quality of life and is inconsistent with choices the person made when they were younger. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

15. Age Associated Financial Vulnerability • Factors that can contribute to financial vulnerability among the elderly include cognitive or emotional decline; • impairments in vision, hearing or mobility; serious progressive illness • social isolation • Certain diseases and medications can also hasten cognitive decline and make it harder for older adults to manage their money Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

16. Assessment Critical: AAFV “It is my hope that by coining this term – age-associated financial vulnerability – it will begin to get physicians to think about this in all older people withand without cognitive problems in the same way they have begun to ask about advanced directives and driving safety as people age.” Dr. Mark Lachs https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-aging-finances/ age-associated-financial-vulnerability-often-overlooked- idUSKCN0S627M20151012 Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

17. How Predators Operate • Scam predators use chat rooms, social media, dating sites to ‘choose and groom’ potential victims, usually taking on ‘avatar’ profile/pictures of innocent victim (image theft) • Move them off the dating site • Small tests for money, then escalate amounts- often to a third party • Can include coercion, promises, loan documents, malware on computer to see what a victim is doing, sharing ‘intimate’ photos, videos • Most overseas- originated Nigeria/Ghana as a type of Nigerian scam • New trends Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

18. “His Voice Is Like A Song” • Scammers often claim to live or work temporarily outside the US, profess friendship, romantic interests, even marriage over internet (and phone). • Scammers are able to create false identities, fake pictures • Engineers/military for women victims • Young coed/model/’dancer’ types for men • Eventually, will be need for money- bad luck stories, various emergencies requiring payment. • Largest loss amounts per victim per IC3.gov • May include online sexual intimacy/sextortion. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

19. Tactics Of Romance Predators • Targeting and Recruitment • Information gathering, mirroring of experiences, dreams • Seduction • Isolation • Grooming/In Control • Execution of the financial requests- the stings • Repeat- until victim broke and in debt • Coercion/threats • Sextortion • Engage the victim in crime- as money mule • Transactions • Traveling- use as money or drug mule Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

20. Internet Romance Scams • Dr. Whitty research that main victim psychological trait is ‘belief in true love’, ‘romantic destiny’, • We sacrifice for true love? • Manipulated into proving that love? HOW? • Social isolation, depression, recent loss partner • Scammers use ‘faux intimacy’ as psychological manipulation to get money. • Codependency/attachment issues • One victim called it “taking the brain”, being hypnotized Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

21. Intimacy As Psychological Manipulation • “We hear the warning “Don’t give money to someone you haven’t met!” And yet those of us who have been caught in a scam do give money.  Why?” • Because despite not meeting them in person, we have conversed with them frequently and often, and a level of intimacy has been developed • We step over the warnings, thinking it does not apply in our specific circumstance. “This could not be a scam”, we say to ourselves, “because scams are not as intimate as what I am experiencing.” •  I know now this is a result of psychological/emotional manipulation…through lying and seduction to create sense intimacy and hope--- to get my money • Recommends more education on fact it is hard to tell if someone is lying especially in internet transactions • Romancescamsurvivor.org Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

22. Intimacy As Psychological Manipulation • “The drawing together as soul mates is one of the lies scammers tell us.  The early stages of romantic love are, especially for women, also symptomatic of losing one’s sense of self. • The scammer, as a skilled manipulator, is able to control a victims’ sense of self worth by making them feel so special, and position themselves so that the victim believes that only with the scammer….. the person who will make our dream of ever lasting love come true, will we ever be happy. • Victims are prepared to sacrifice all for this, and will give money often to their severe financial (and emotional) detriment.” • http://romancescamsurvivor.org/2016/08/intimacy-as-manipulation/ Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

23. Recent Sentencing of Romance Scammer • OlaninkaSunmola, of Nigeria – serving 27 year federal prison. • He was a ringleader of a criminal enterprise, extradited US. Scam operated from 2007-2014 • Victim Impact? • One was arrested and charged with theft by deception and forgery- innocent mule- had contemplated suicide • A victim applied credit cards- gave him cash advances -$98,000 debt- declared bankruptcy, others lost jobs, arrested as mules • A victim was induced to perform sex acts which he recorded and threatened to publish online unless her family sent money • He told her that by the time he was done with her- she would want to kill herself, and pledged to ruin her life unless he was paid. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/nigerian-scammer-convicted-line-romance-fraud Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

24. At Sentencing….. • US District Judge Herndon called it ‘the most devastating crime one could ever imagine without laying hands or even eyes on another human being’. • “Conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and interstate extortion hardly sounds like the kinds of crimes that lead to broken lives, wrecked women, fractured families, devastation, desires to die, humiliation and shame so extreme. • But his charm turned to bullying, name calling, extortion, unthinkable demands and threats. • Thoughts of paradise turned into thoughts of hell and for some, thoughts of suicide.” Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

25. Is This A Crime of Cyber Intimate Partner Exploitation? Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

26. Power and Control/Cyber Intimate Partner Abuse/Exploitation? • Using intimidation • Coercion and threats • Economic abuse/exploitation • Using children (fake) • Minimizing, denying and blaming victim • Using isolation • Emotional abuse • And sextortion, identity theft, account takeovers, installing malware, computer takeover, • Recruiting victim to be money or drug mule Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

27. Dr. Tim Owen- The Shame • Like domestic violence, romance fraud is a much bigger problem than people realize, but it goes under the radar as people are reluctant to talk about it. • Like domestic violence, we only see the tip of the iceberg because of the social embarrassment factor. The taboo of online relationships is gone, but there are not many people willing to confess to being duped in such a way. • They thought they were in a meaningful relationship and when they discover it was all hollow, they feel foolish and don’t want to tell anyone. • “There are an increasing number of singles unwittingly admitting their vulnerabilities on dating sites. Predators are targeting them and looking for the lonely. • Director of the University of Central Lancashire’s Cybercrime Research Unit Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

28. Ways To Spot A Romance Predator (AARP) Watch out if you "meet" someone who: • wants to leave the dating site immediately and use personal email or instant messaging to communicate with you • makes several spelling and grammar mistakes when communicating • sends a personal photo that looks like something from a glamour magazine, or by a model’s website • professes love too quickly • claims to be from the U.S., but is traveling or working overseas • makes excuses about not being able to speak by phone • plans to visit, but cancels at the last minute because of a traumatic event or a business deal gone sour, visa problems • asks for money for a variety of reasons (travel, medical emergencies, hotel bills, hospitals bills for child or other relative, visas or other official documents, losses from a financial setback) • requests you to wire money or to cash a check or money order and send money back or to a third person (victim becomes money mule); • and makes several, ongoing requests for more money Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

29. Don’t Be A Mule Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

30. Business Email Compromise Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

31. Business Email Compromise Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

32. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

33. Money Mules • Money Mules are recruited by scammers to serve as an intermediary to transfer and launder stolen money or some kind of merchandise. • The mule may or may not be aware that they are being used. • Online Dating • Work from home scam • Lottery scams • Who works as a mule? • Recruit college students, military spouses, elderly, previous criminals • Mules are critical component of cyber frauds and global criminal enterprises Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

34. From Victim to ‘Money Mule’ • In 2009 Tracy Vasseur (Colorado) was involved in • online romance, with ‘soldier’ in Afghanistan. • Once she realized she was scammed by him, she volunteered to help scammer by posing as ‘agent’/money mule whose job was to relay funds (from victims) to ‘soldiers’ overseas. • Really forwarded it through bank accounts, wiring money to Nigeria. • Had her 16 year old daughter receive, send money to Nigeria. • She and her mother pleaded guilty to participating in theft of $1.1 million from 374 victims in 41 countries. • They were sentenced to combined 31 years in state prison. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

35. Traveling Money Mule • Australian grandmother, Maria Exposto 54 faced mandatory death penalty in Malaysia by hanging as drug mule. (they changed the law during her trial) • Thought she was carrying clothes/retirement papers for American soldier in Afghanistan who had promised to marry her. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

36. ONE TIME INTERVENTION WILL NOT WORK In Assisting Chronic/Compliant Elderly Victims of Financial Exploitation……. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

37. The Coming Together of Soul Mates • “My mother had waited her whole life to hear the words she so longed to hear….. And finally heard from him. • She is not going to let go of that by cutting off contact with him, no matter what you or the police say to her.” Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

38. Start Where The Victim Is… • Interventions difficult- may not identify as victim • One time ‘interventions don’t work’ …. its a process • Few therapists, programs, funding sources exist to assist these victims- not included in safety net of victim services (even 211) • Not eligible for crime victim comp in CA • Suicides have been documented Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

39. Begin Where The Victim Is…. • Victims are very vulnerable at early intervention stage • Financial and mental health counseling /trauma informed • May not see themselves as victims-start where victim is • May lie to you • Find other agencies to partner with- ‘domestic violence, AAA, FAST teams, cyber seniors, computer/devices training and scam detection • Cultural and language factors/resources? • Safety planning • Need for free weekly phone/cyber support groups run by social workers/therapists in every county/region in CA Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

40. Managing Expectations • Managing expectations in accountability/getting money back • In police taking report or investigation/arrest/prosecution • In future risk of contact, later ID theft • If involved as mule • First 48-72 hours critical- if able to stop money • If involved as mule- step up your intervention if law enforcement agrees Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

41. If Concerned Someone Is Victim? • Share information and help them to report. • (do search “**” ‘soldier name’ scam or fraud, google image search, www.tineye.com) • Victim support, NGO and govt websites on this topic • Contact police and if vulnerable/elderly- contact APS • Inform site they met online on • Report and Block through WU/MG • Inform banks, doctor, financial planner, tax consultant • Police- too often tell victims and family members it’s a civil matter or not in our jurisdiction- they should be referring to IC3.gov • Encourage victim to contact www.ic3.gov and www.ftc.gov, and help them file report Help them find other ways to spend their time or ‘be important’ in family’s life again. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

42. Basic Scam Fraud Hygiene • Increased proficiency in tech equipment- voice mail, email, cut/paste • Two Factor (Two – Step) Authentication-then change passwords • Strong secret questions • Mindfulness re: online profile • Not using the same password for email and other websites • Keep the systems and antivirus and applications updated Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

43. Basic Steps In Assistance • Financial • Creditor/legal intervention • Nonprofit consumer credit counseling programs • Bankruptcy Options • IRS/tax issues/IRS Taxpayer Advocate • Job help • Preservation/protection of remaining assets • Emotional • Counseling ? Costs, counselor expertise • Phone/Skype type support groups • Online support groups • Grief work, groups (for prior relationship?) • ‘Reconnecting’ with the real world • Assistance to family can be critical Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

44. Financial and computer safety • Sextortion risk • Close accounts – banking, credit card, other • ID/passport- cancel- report as possible fraud • 2 factor authentication for electronic devices • Then reset passwords on accounts, especially social media and financial • Keep antivirus current • Safety Planning- if contacts in future or others contact? • Who can be POC if not sure what to do • Need for ongoing support Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

45. SCAMS_LA and Central Coast Working Groups (MDT’s) • Collaborations in intervention ‘best practices’ • 3 prong mission • Identify victims (especially chronic/compliant) • Enhance investigations and reporting (including ic3.gov and ftc.gov) • Enhance interventions ‘safety net’ • Wise And Healthy Aging phone weekly support group for LA based victims of online romance scams 50 and older. Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

46. Working With Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Centers • Coalition For Family Harmony • Now seeing cyber romance scam victims • All services available to DV victims, now available to them • Crisis intervention • Phone survivor support group • Walk in clinic • 10 free counseling sessions • Advocacy in other ways • Shelter program as needed • http://thecoalition.org/online-romance-scams/ • Need for weekly phone support group for survivors regionally throughout CA/US Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

47. Western Union Remission Program • Victims of scams who made a wire transfer through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, may be eligible for remission. • In order to be considered for a remission payment, victims will be required to submit a Remission Form along with any available supporting documentation. • Petitions must be filed electronically or postmarked on or before May 31, 2018 • www.westernunionremission.com Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

48. Social EngagementConnections = Intimacy= Hope • If scam, what are you replacing the old behavior with? (Ways to spend their days/nights?) • “No matter how old we are we need a purpose.. A reason to get up in the morning” • Ways to be important in family’s life again (or alternative local network of peers or relationships) • Where can victim go if concerned new crime or missing ‘scammer’ contact? Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

49. Report, Report, Report • Share information about these scams and where to report with everyone you know, in addition to filing police and notifying bank/credit card/WU/MG asap. • Adult Protective Services- • Internet Crime Complaint Centerww.ic3.gov • www.ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357 • FTC also resource for identity theft at www.idtheft.gov • www.spam@uce.gov (to report spam) • www.onguardonline.gov (tips on internet fraud) • Taxpayer advocate service (IRS) Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO

50. Justice Isn’t Served Until ALL Crime Victims Are Unclassified DDeem Romance 2018 SLO