Railway and Telecom department Join Hands to make sure your lost mobile device is recovered through advance tracking capabilities Strengthening operation ‘Amanat’, RPF onboarded on CEIR portal of department of telecommunication benefiting millions of Railways passengers
CEIR portal is DoT’s crucial digital tool to recover mobile phone by blocking IMEI number, tracking and managing of lost/ stolen devices
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 7:20PM by PIB Delhi
In a significant move towards enhancing passenger experience by returning the lost/missing mobile phones, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has successfully onboarded with the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal of the Department of Telecommunication. This initiative follows the success of a pilot program in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). The all India roll out of this program across Indian Railways would benefit millions of Railway Passengers.
In the inauguration launch and training program for CEIR portal, held today, Shri. Manoj Yadava, Director General, Railway Protection Force addressed the gathering of RPF field units while Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) delivered the keynote address. Speaking on this landmark development, the DG RPF Shri. Manoj Yadava stated that “The collaboration of RPF with the Department of Telecommunication for operating CEIR portal marks a significant milestone in railway security. By harnessing digital technology, we aim to provide passengers with a transparent and effective mechanism to recover their lost or missing mobile phones. This initiative strengthens law enforcement capabilities and fosters greater trust among railway commuters. We remain committed to safeguarding passenger property and ensuring a secure travel experience across the railway network.”
The CEIR portal, launched by the Department of Telecommunications, is a crucial digital tool designed to recover mobile phones by blocking, tracking and managing lost or stolen devices. By leveraging this platform, RPF will now be able to render lost/missing mobile phones unusable by blocking their IMEI numbers, thereby deterring illegal possession and resale of these devices. This initiative will also facilitate the swift recovery of lost phones through advanced tracking capabilities.
RPF has been at the forefront of efforts to recover passenger property which are lost or missing in trains as well as station premises. Operation Amanat of RPF, aimed at the sole objective of returning the valuables to its rightful owners, have yielded impressive results, with RPF successfully recovering misplaced or left behind items worth ₹84.03 crores between January 2024 and February 2025 returning them to more than1.15 lakh grateful passengers. The incorporation of CEIR into railway security operations is expected to further bolster the efforts of RFP to restore misplaced or left behind mobile phones to their rightful owners.
Seamless Complaint Registration & Recovery Process
The integration of RPF with CEIR ensures a streamlined process for passengers reporting lost or stolen phones:
Complaint Registration via Rail Madad: Passengers can report lost or stolen mobile phones through the Rail Madad platform, either online or by dialling 139. If they choose not to file an FIR, they will be guided to register their complaint on the CEIR portal.
CEIR Registration by RPF: Zonal Cyber Cells of RPF will then register the complaint on the CEIR portal, entering the required details and blocking the device.
Tracking and Recovery: Once the lost phone is detected with a new SIM card, the user of the device will be advised to return it to the nearest RPF post.
Return to the Owner: The rightful owner must present supporting documents to reclaim the device.
Legal Action: In case of non-compliance, an FIR can be lodged, and the matter escalated to the District Police.
Device Unblocking: Upon recovery, the complainant can request to unblock the phone via the CEIR portal, with assistance from RPF if needed.
In May 2024, RPF began a pilot project in Northeast Frontier Railway to actively utilize the CEIR portal and to study its utility for RPF. This experiment resulted in successful recovery of numerous lost mobile phones and apprehension of individuals involved in mobile theft. With this initiative being expanded all across the country, RPF is confident that it would be able to provide faster and more efficient recovery solutions for railway passengers.
With technology-driven advancements and inter-agency collaboration, Indian Railways continues to reinforce its commitment to passenger safety, ensuring that every journey is secure and hassle-free.
‘Waqf’ has been defined as the permanent dedication by any person of any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by Muslim Law as pious, religious or charitable.[1]
Introduction
India has been working to regulate and protect Waqf properties, which have religious, social, and economic significance. The first major law, the Waqf Act of 1954, laid the foundation for managing these properties. Over time, laws have been updated to improve governance and prevent misuse. The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 aims to increase transparency, strengthen management, and protect Waqf assets. These reforms follow global best practices.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enforced by the Central Government, currently regulates Waqf properties. The main administrative bodies are:
Central Waqf Council (CWC) – Advises the government and State Waqf Boards on policy but does not directly control Waqf properties.
State Waqf Boards (SWBs) – Manage and protect Waqf properties in each state.
Waqf Tribunals – Exclusive judicial bodies that handle disputes related to Waqf properties.
This system ensures better management and faster resolution of issues. Over the years, legal changes have made Waqf administration more transparent, efficient, and accountable.
An Overview of Waqf History in India
Waqf properties in India have been regulated by several laws to improve administration and prevent mismanagement:
The Mussalman Wakf Validating Act, 1913:
Allowed Muslims to create Waqfs for family benefit, eventually leading to charitable purposes.
Aimed to improve Waqf management but was not very effective.
The Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923: Introduced rules for proper accounting and transparency in Waqf management.
The Mussalman Wakf Validating Act, 1930: Strengthened the legal validity of family Waqfs, giving legal backing to the 1913 Act.
The Wakf Act, 1954:
Created State Waqf Boards (SWBs) for the first time to oversee Waqf properties.
Strengthened Waqf management after India’s independence.
Established the Central Waqf Council of India in 1964 to supervise State Waqf Boards and provided a pathway toward the centralisation of Waqfs.
This central body oversees the work under various state Waqf boards which were established under provisions of Section 9(1) of the Waqf Act, 1954.
Amendments to the Wakf Act, 1954 (1959, 1964, 1969, and 1984): These amendments aimed to further improve the administration of waqf properties.
The Waqf Act, 1995: This comprehensive Act repealed the 1954 Act and its amendments:
This was enacted to govern the administration of Waqf Properties in India.
It provides for the power and functions of the Waqf Council, the State Waqf Boards, and the Chief Executive Officer, and also the duties of mutawalli.
Created Waqf Tribunals, special courts with powers similar to civil courts.
Tribunal decisions are final and cannot be challenged in civil courts.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013 introduced significant changes including:
Created three-member Waqf Tribunals, including a Muslim law expert.
Required two women members on each State Waqf Board.
Prohibited the sale or gifting of Waqf properties.
Increased the lease period of Waqf properties from 3 years to 30 years for better use.
Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024
Aims to modernize Waqf administration, reduce legal disputes, and improve efficiency.
Seeks to fix issues in the 1995 Act and the 2013 Amendment.
Schemes by the Ministry of Minority Affairs
The Quami Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS) and Shahari Waqf Sampatti Vikas Yojana (SWSVY) are being implemented through the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA), Government of India. These two schemes are for automation and modernization of State Waqf Boards.
Under QWBTS, Government Grants-in-Aid (GIA) is provided to State Waqf Boards through CWC for the deployment of manpower to computerize and digitize records of waqf properties and to enhance the administration of Waqf Boards.
SWSVY offers interest-free loans to Waqf Boards and institutions to develop commercial projects on Waqf properties.
Rs 23.87 crore and Rs 7.16 crore respectively were spent under QWBTS and SWSVY from 2019-20 to 2023-24.[2]
Overview of Waqf Properties in India:
As per data available on WAMSI portal 30 States/UTs and 32 Boards reported that there are 8.72 lakh properties, covering an area of more than 38 lakh acres. Out of the 8.72 lakh properties, 4.02 lakhs are Waqf by user. For remaining Waqf properties, the Ownership Rights Establishing Documents (deeds) have been uploaded on the WAMSI Portal for 9279 cases and only 1083 Waqf deeds have been uploaded.
Data on State-wise numbers and area of Waqf properties (as of September 2024)
Sr. No.
State Waqf Boards
Total No. of Properties
Total area in Acre
1
Andaman and Nicobar Waqf Board
151
178.09
2
Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board
14685
78229.97
3
Assam Board of Waqfs
2654
6618.14
4
Bihar State (Shia) Waqf Board
1750
29009.52
5
Bihar State (Sunni) Waqf Board
6866
169344.82
6
Chandigarh Waqf Board
34
23.26
7
Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board
4230
12347.1
8
Dadra and Nagar Haveli Waqf Board
30
4.41
9
Delhi Waqf Board
1047
28.09
10
Gujarat State Waqf Board
39940
86438.95
11
Haryana Waqf Board
23267
36482.4
12
Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board
5343
8727.6
13
Jammu and Kashmir Auqaf Board
32533
350300.75
14
Jharkhand State (Sunni) Waqf Board
698
1084.76
15
Karnataka State Board of Auqaf
62830
596516.61
16
Kerala State Waqf Board
53282
36167.21
17
Lakshadweep State Waqf Board
896
143.81
18
Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board
33472
679072.39
19
Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs
36701
201105.17
20
Manipur State Waqf Board
991
10077.44
21
Meghalaya State Board of Waqfs
58
889.07
22
Odisha Board of Waqfs
10314
28714.65
23
Puducherry State Waqf Board
693
352.67
24
Punjab Waqf Board
75965
72867.89
25
Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqfs
30895
509725.57
26
Tamil Nadu Waqf Board
66092
655003.2
27
Telangana State Waqf Board
45682
143305.89
28
Tripura Board of Waqfs
2814
1015.73
29
U.P. Shia Central Board of Waqfs
15386
20483
30
U.P. Sunni Central Board of Waqfs
217161
31
Uttarakhand Waqf Board
5388
21.8
32
West Bengal Board of Waqfs
80480
82011.84
Total
872328
3816291.788
Conclusion:
The changes in Waqf laws in India from 1913 to 2024 show a strong effort to protect and manage Waqf properties for society’s benefit while ensuring a proper administration system. Each law aimed to solve current problems while keeping the main purpose of Waqf endowments. The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 is an important step toward making Waqf management more transparent, responsible, and inclusive.
NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the reported detention of a journalist covering a protest over alleged financial irregularities in a bank in Guwahati, Assam Issues notice to the Director General of Police, Assam, calling for a detailed report within four weeks
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:51PM by PIB Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that on 25th March, 2025 in Guwahati, a journalist of a digital news portal was called at Panbazar police and detained after a dharna in front of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd, which he had gone to cover. Reportedly, the journalist had questioned the Managing Director of the bank on the alleged financial irregularities, though no reason was cited for his detention.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise the issue of violation of the journalist’s human rights. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Government of Assam, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
According to the media report, carried on 25th March, 2025, the protestors were demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities in the management of the bank and strict action against those responsible.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) (“two sessions”) were concluded successfully in March this year. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (April 3) held a seminar on learning the spirit of the “two sessions” at the Central Government Offices to enable participants to have a deeper understanding of the essence of the “two sessions” and its significance to the HKSAR.
The seminar was hosted by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee. The Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zheng Yanxiong, was invited to the seminar to share his views. The seminar was attended by more than 320 participants, including Principal Officials of the HKSAR Government, HKSAR deputies to the NPC, HKSAR members of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Members of the Executive Council and Legislative Council, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department.
Speaking at the seminar, Director Zheng said that the HKSAR has to grasp the spirit of the “two sessions” focusing on seven aspects. They are, namely, grasping deeply the spirit of the important speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping in the “two sessions”; the significant achievements of the country on all fronts over the past year; the bright prospects in national economic and social development; the overall requirements and major tasks for economic and social development this year; the key initiatives in the government work report; the significance of amending the Law on Deputies; and the key plans for Hong Kong as highlighted by the “two sessions”.
Director Zheng also said that the government work report has pointed out boost of capacity for innovation and radiating effect of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, striving for solid progress in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road co-operation, and speeding up the process of seeking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. These plans are closely related to Hong Kong and deserve a high degree of attention. In particular, the emphasis on “deepening international exchanges and co-operation and better integration into the national development” highlighted the importance for Hong Kong to capitalise on its advantages as an international city and to integrate into the overall national development. It highlighted the dialectical relationship between Hong Kong’s connection to the Mainland and to the world.
Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to Director Zheng for his sharing, which deepened participants’ understanding of the spirit of the “two sessions”. Mr Lee said that the Central Government firmly supports Hong Kong’s development. The Government will fully implement the spirit of the “two sessions” in its governance to continuously unite society to further deepen reforms comprehensively, proactively identify, adapt to, and drive change, pursue economic development and improve people’s livelihood, fully leverage the institutional strengths of “one country, two systems” and proactively align with national development strategies, further deepen international collaboration and proactively capitalise on Hong Kong’s role as a bridge linking the Mainland and the world. Hong Kong will vigorously develop new quality productive forces, accelerate its development into an international innovation and technology centre, further consolidate and enhance the city’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, actively build an international hub for high-calibre talent, and take forward the development of the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. Apart from strengthening economic and trade ties with traditional markets, Hong Kong will also deepen its exchanges and co-operation with new markets such as the Middle East, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Central Asia, contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative, and tell the good stories of China and Hong Kong.
Mr Lee encouraged government officials and various sectors of the community to continue to work hard in their respective positions and stay united to contribute to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and the well-being of its people, and meet the challenges ahead with greater confidence and determination to jointly build a better future for Hong Kong.
Police have charged three people and seized synthetic drugs after a search warrant execution in Pictou County.
Pictou County Integrated Street Crimes Enforcement Unit (PCISCEU) began an investigation related to a suspicious package being moved by courier. Investigation found that the package contained illicit, synthetic drugs with a delivery address in Three Brooks.
After the package was claimed, the PCISCEU executed a search warrant at an identified address on Three Brooks Rd.
During the warrant execution, which took place on March 27, officers safely arrested four people, seized fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, and recovered an enclosed trailer that was found to have been reported stolen.
Three people are facing charges related to this investigation:
Jake Bruce Murphy, 34, of Three Brooks, has been charged with Possession of a Schedule I Substance (Fentanyl) and Failure to Comply with Undertaking (three counts);
Rebecca Lynn Pitts, 48, of Three Brooks, has been charged with Possession of a Schedule I Substance (Fentanyl);
Merissa Ann Sutherland, 34, of Pictou, has been charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Failure to Comply with Undertaking (two counts).
The three were released by police on conditions pending a court appearance on June 23, 2025, at Pictou Provincial Court.
The fourth person arrested was released without charges.
Fentanyl is a potent opioid pain reliever and is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin. More information about the dangers of fentanyl is available from Health Canada.
The investigation is ongoing and is assisted by Eastern Region Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC), Nova Scotia RCMP Synthetic Drugs and Scenes Unit, Antigonish/Guysborough Street Crimes Enforcement Unit, and Pictou County District RCMP.
Note: The PCISCEU is made up of police officers from Pictou County District RCMP, Westville Police Service, and Stellarton Police Service.
News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team
Executive summary
Many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking a malicious technique known as “fast flux.” This technique poses a significant threat to national security, enabling malicious cyber actors to consistently evade detection. Malicious cyber actors, including cybercriminals and nation-state actors, use fast flux to obfuscate the locations of malicious servers by rapidly changing Domain Name System (DNS) records. Additionally, they can create resilient, highly available command and control (C2) infrastructure, concealing their subsequent malicious operations. This resilient and fast changing infrastructure makes tracking and blocking malicious activities that use fast flux more difficult.
The National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ) are releasing this joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) to warn organizations, Internet service providers (ISPs), and cybersecurity service providers of the ongoing threat of fast flux enabled malicious activities as a defensive gap in many networks. This advisory is meant to encourage service providers, especially Protective DNS (PDNS) providers, to help mitigate this threat by taking proactive steps to develop accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics and blocking capabilities for their customers. This CSA also provides guidance on detecting and mitigating elements of malicious fast flux by adopting a multi-layered approach that combines DNS analysis, network monitoring, and threat intelligence.
The authoring agencies recommend all stakeholders—government and providers—collaborate to develop and implement scalable solutions to close this ongoing gap in network defenses against malicious fast flux activity.
Download the PDF version of this report: Fast Flux: A National Security Threat (PDF, 841 KB).
Technical details
When malicious cyber actors compromise devices and networks, the malware they use needs to “call home” to send status updates and receive further instructions. To decrease the risk of detection by network defenders, malicious cyber actors use dynamic resolution techniques, such as fast flux, so their communications are less likely to be detected as malicious and blocked.
Fast flux refers to a domain-based technique that is characterized by rapidly changing the DNS records (e.g., IP addresses) associated with a single domain [T1568.001].
Single and double flux
Malicious cyber actors use two common variants of fast flux to perform operations:
1. Single flux: A single domain name is linked to numerous IP addresses, which are frequently rotated in DNS responses. This setup ensures that if one IP address is blocked or taken down, the domain remains accessible through the other IP addresses. See Figure 1 as an example to illustrate this technique.
Figure 1: Single flux technique.
Note: This behavior can also be used for legitimate purposes for performance reasons in dynamic hosting environments, such as in content delivery networks and load balancers.
2. Double flux: In addition to rapidly changing the IP addresses as in single flux, the DNS name servers responsible for resolving the domain also change frequently. This provides an additional layer of redundancy and anonymity for malicious domains. Double flux techniques have been observed using both Name Server (NS) and Canonical Name (CNAME) DNS records. See Figure 2 as an example to illustrate this technique.
Figure 2: Double flux technique.
Both techniques leverage a large number of compromised hosts, usually as a botnet from across the Internet that acts as proxies or relay points, making it difficult for network defenders to identify the malicious traffic and block or perform legal enforcement takedowns of the malicious infrastructure. Numerous malicious cyber actors have been reported using the fast flux technique to hide C2 channels and remain operational. Examples include:
Bulletproof hosting (BPH) services offer Internet hosting that disregards or evades law enforcement requests and abuse notices. These providers host malicious content and activities while providing anonymity for malicious cyber actors. Some BPH companies also provide fast flux services, which help malicious cyber actors maintain connectivity and improve the reliability of their malicious infrastructure. [1]
Fast flux has been used in Hive and Nefilim ransomware attacks. [3], [4]
Gamaredon uses fast flux to limit the effectiveness of IP blocking. [5], [6], [7]
The key advantages of fast flux networks for malicious cyber actors include:
Increased resilience. As a fast flux network rapidly rotates through botnet devices, it is difficult for law enforcement or abuse notifications to process the changes quickly and disrupt their services.
Render IP blocking ineffective. The rapid turnover of IP addresses renders IP blocking irrelevant since each IP address is no longer in use by the time it is blocked. This allows criminals to maintain resilient operations.
Anonymity. Investigators face challenges in tracing malicious content back to the source through fast flux networks. This is because malicious cyber actors’ C2 botnets are constantly changing the associated IP addresses throughout the investigation.
Additional malicious uses
Fast flux is not only used for maintaining C2 communications, it also can play a significant role in phishing campaigns to make social engineering websites harder to block or take down. Phishing is often the first step in a larger and more complex cyber compromise. Phishing is typically used to trick victims into revealing sensitive information (such as login passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data), but can also be used to distribute malware or exploit system vulnerabilities. Similarly, fast flux is used for maintaining high availability for cybercriminal forums and marketplaces, making them resilient against law enforcement takedown efforts.
Some BPH providers promote fast flux as a service differentiator that increases the effectiveness of their clients’ malicious activities. For example, one BPH provider posted on a dark web forum that it protects clients from being added to Spamhaus blocklists by easily enabling the fast flux capability through the service management panel (See Figure 3). A customer just needs to add a “dummy server interface,” which redirects incoming queries to the host server automatically. By doing so, only the dummy server interfaces are reported for abuse and added to the Spamhaus blocklist, while the servers of the BPH customers remain “clean” and unblocked.
Figure 3: Example dark web fast flux advertisement.
The BPH provider further explained that numerous malicious activities beyond C2, including botnet managers, fake shops, credential stealers, viruses, spam mailers, and others, could use fast flux to avoid identification and blocking.
As another example, a BPH provider that offers fast flux as a service advertised that it automatically updates name servers to prevent the blocking of customer domains. Additionally, this provider further promoted its use of separate pools of IP addresses for each customer, offering globally dispersed domain registrations for increased reliability.
Detection techniques
The authoring agencies recommend that ISPs and cybersecurity service providers, especially PDNS providers, implement a multi-layered approach, in coordination with customers, using the following techniques to aid in detecting fast flux activity [CISA CPG 3.A]. However, quickly detecting malicious fast flux activity and differentiating it from legitimate activity remains an ongoing challenge to developing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics.
1. Leverage threat intelligence feeds and reputation services to identify known fast flux domains and associated IP addresses, such as in boundary firewalls, DNS resolvers, and/or SIEM solutions.
2. Implement anomaly detection systems for DNS query logs to identify domains exhibiting high entropy or IP diversity in DNS responses and frequent IP address rotations. Fast flux domains will frequently cycle though tens or hundreds of IP addresses per day.
3. Analyze the time-to-live (TTL) values in DNS records. Fast flux domains often have unusually low TTL values. A typical fast flux domain may change its IP address every 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Review DNS resolution for inconsistent geolocation. Malicious domains associated with fast flux typically generate high volumes of traffic with inconsistent IP-geolocation information.
5. Use flow data to identify large-scale communications with numerous different IP addresses over short periods.
6. Develop fast flux detection algorithms to identify anomalous traffic patterns that deviate from usual network DNS behavior.
7. Monitor for signs of phishing activities, such as suspicious emails, websites, or links, and correlate these with fast flux activity. Fast flux may be used to rapidly spread phishing campaigns and to keep phishing websites online despite blocking attempts.
8. Implement customer transparency and share information about detected fast flux activity, ensuring to alert customers promptly after confirmed presence of malicious activity.
Mitigations
All organizations
To defend against fast flux, government and critical infrastructure organizations should coordinate with their Internet service providers, cybersecurity service providers, and/or their Protective DNS services to implement the following mitigations utilizing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics.
Note: Some legitimate activity, such as common content delivery network (CDN) behaviors, may look like malicious fast flux activity. Protective DNS services, service providers, and network defenders should make reasonable efforts, such as allowlisting expected CDN services, to avoid blocking or impeding legitimate content.
1. DNS and IP blocking and sinkholing of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses
Block access to domains identified as using fast flux through non-routable DNS responses or firewall rules.
Consider sinkholing the malicious domains, redirecting traffic from those domains to a controlled server to capture and analyze the traffic, helping to identify compromised hosts within the network.
Block IP addresses known to be associated with malicious fast flux networks.
2. Reputational filtering of fast flux enabled malicious activity
Block traffic to and from domains or IP addresses with poor reputations, especially ones identified as participating in malicious fast flux activity.
3. Enhanced monitoring and logging
Increase logging and monitoring of DNS traffic and network communications to identify new or ongoing fast flux activities.
Implement automated alerting mechanisms to respond swiftly to detected fast flux patterns.
Refer to ASD’s ACSC joint publication, Best practices for event logging and threat detection, for further logging recommendations.
4. Collaborative defense and information sharing
Share detected fast flux indicators (e.g., domains, IP addresses) with trusted partners and threat intelligence communities to enhance collective defense efforts. Examples of indicator sharing initiatives include CISA’s Automated Indicator Sharing or sector-based Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) and ASD’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform (CTIS) in Australia.
Participate in public and private information-sharing programs to stay informed about emerging fast flux tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Regular collaboration is particularly important because most malicious activity by these domains occurs within just a few days of their initial use; therefore, early discovery and information sharing by the cybersecurity community is crucial to minimizing such malicious activity. [8]
5. Phishing awareness and training
Implement employee awareness and training programs to help personnel identify and respond appropriately to phishing attempts.
Develop policies and procedures to manage and contain phishing incidents, particularly those facilitated by fast flux networks.
For more information on mitigating phishing, see joint Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One.
Network defenders
The authoring agencies encourage organizations to use cybersecurity and PDNS services that detect and block fast flux. By leveraging providers that detect fast flux and implement capabilities for DNS and IP blocking, sinkholing, reputational filtering, enhanced monitoring, logging, and collaborative defense of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses, organizations can mitigate many risks associated with fast flux and maintain a more secure environment.
However, some PDNS providers may not detect and block malicious fast flux activities. Organizations should not assume that their PDNS providers block malicious fast flux activity automatically and should contact their PDNS providers to validate coverage of this specific cyber threat.
For more information on PDNS services, see the 2021 joint cybersecurity information sheet from NSA and CISA about Selecting a Protective DNS Service. [9] In addition, NSA offers no-cost cybersecurity services to Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, including a PDNS service. For more information, see NSA’s DIB Cybersecurity Services and factsheet. CISA also offers a Protective DNS service for federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agencies. See CISA’s Protective Domain Name System Resolver page and factsheet for more information.
Conclusion
Fast flux represents a persistent threat to network security, leveraging rapidly changing infrastructure to obfuscate malicious activity. By implementing robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of compromise by fast flux-enabled threats.
The authoring agencies strongly recommend organizations engage their cybersecurity providers on developing a multi-layered approach to detect and mitigate malicious fast flux operations. Utilizing services that detect and block fast flux enabled malicious cyber activity can significantly bolster an organization’s cyber defenses.
Works cited
[1] Intel471. Bulletproof Hosting: A Critical Cybercriminal Service. 2024. https://intel471.com/blog/bulletproof-hosting-a-critical-cybercriminal-service
[2] Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre. “Bulletproof” hosting providers: Cracks in the armour of cybercriminal infrastructure. 2025. https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/publications/bulletproof-hosting-providers
[3] Logpoint. A Comprehensive guide to Detect Ransomware. 2023. https://www.logpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logpoint-a-comprehensive-guide-to-detect-ransomware.pdf
[4] Trendmicro. Modern Ransomware’s Double Extortion Tactic’s and How to Protect Enterprises Against Them. 2021. https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/modern-ransomwares-double-extortion-tactics-and-how-to-protect-enterprises-against-them
[5] Unit 42. Russia’s Trident Ursa (aka Gamaredon APT) Cyber Conflict Operations Unwavering Since Invasion of Ukraine. 2022. https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/trident-ursa/
[6] Recorded Future. BlueAlpha Abuses Cloudflare Tunneling Service for GammaDrop Staging Infrastructure. 2024. https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/bluealpha-abuses-cloudflare-tunneling-service
[7] Silent Push. ‘From Russia with a 71’: Uncovering Gamaredon’s fast flux infrastructure. New apex domains and ASN/IP diversity patterns discovered. 2023. https://www.silentpush.com/blog/from-russia-with-a-71/
[8] DNS Filter. Security Categories You Should be Blocking (But Probably Aren’t). 2023. https://www.dnsfilter.com/blog/security-categories-you-should-be-blocking-but-probably-arent
[9] National Security Agency. Selecting a Protective DNS Service. 2021. https://media.defense.gov/2025/Mar/24/2003675043/-1/-1/0/CSI-SELECTING-A-PROTECTIVE-DNS-SERVICE-V1.3.PDF
Disclaimer of endorsement
The information and opinions contained in this document are provided “as is” and without any warranties or guarantees. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government, and this guidance shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
Purpose
This document was developed in furtherance of the authoring cybersecurity agencies’ missions, including their responsibilities to identify and disseminate threats, and develop and issue cybersecurity specifications and mitigations. This information may be shared broadly to reach all appropriate stakeholders.
Contact
National Security Agency (NSA):
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):
All organizations should report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA via the agency’s Incident Reporting System, its 24/7 Operations Center at report@cisa.gov, or by calling 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment user for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):
To report suspicious or criminal activity related to information found in this advisory, contact your local FBI field office or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.
Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC):
For inquiries, visit ASD’s website at www.cyber.gov.au or call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS):
New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ):
Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and arrested Zayki Davis,17, at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West Beech Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Davis was wanted by the Philadelphia Police Department for murder in relation to the shooting death of a 15-year-old juvenile who was riding on a Septa bus. After a verbal dispute, Davis exited the bus and fired one round into the bus which struck and killed the victim.
At approximately 12:00 p.m. April 3rd, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia surrounded an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West Beech Street in Norristown PA. Marshals developed information Davis was presently in the apartment of a long-time friend and Davis had been hiding there for days. Upon entering the apartment, Davis was quickly located and arrested without incident. He was then transported back to Philadelphia Police headquarters by homicide detectives.
“Though Zayki Davis fled Philadelphia, with this task force pursuing him, his freedom was always on borrowed time,” said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriffs, and Delaware County Sheriffs.
New Haven, CT —The U.S. Marshals, working with the Connecticut State Police Tactical Unit and the Norwich Police Department, arrested in Norwich today a man wanted on numerous charges involving firearms and probation violation.
Tremaine Dowdell, 31, is charged in Connecticut with criminal attempt assault in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal mischief in the first degree. He is charged federally with violation of supervised release.
Following an arrest in 2019 for felon in possession of a handgun, Dowdell was put on federal probation, but he was arrested May 25, 2024, by the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department for possession of a “ghost gun.” A federal arrest warrant was issued May 30, 2024, for Dowdell for violating his probation. Following a shooting incident in New London on June 8, 2024, another arrest warrant was issued for Dowdell.
The U.S. Marshals Service District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force was able to determine through investigation that Dowdell led a transient lifestyle throughout the New England area, but investigators recently developed information that he was hiding out at a residence in the 60 block of Boswell Avenue, where they took him into custody.
Dowdell was transported to the New London Police Department for booking.
Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals – Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force in 1999, these partnerships have resulted in over 11,046 arrests. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sexual predators. Membership agencies include Hartford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments and Homeland Security Investigations. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Gender was an important factor in the 2022 election: it shaped the ways the major parties packaged their policies and their leaders. Three years later, as Australians grapple with an uncertain world and a cost-of-living crisis, how might gender shape the 2025 election result?
Ideas about gender have always shaped Australian politics, although male and female political alignments have shifted over time. For example, when Sir Robert Menzies established the Liberal Party in 1944, he crafted messages to appeal to women, in contrast with the Labor Party’s blue-collar masculinity.
By the 1970s and 1980s, as more women entered the workforce and pursued further education, they became more progressive in their voting habits. This trend is evident beyond Australia (for example in the US, and in Europe and Canada).
How gender influenced the 2022 election
Women’s issues were decisive in the last federal election. The gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of Grace Tame as a fiery advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, and the Morrison government’s poor response to Brittany Higgins’ allegation of sexual assault enraged many women, who took the streets in the March for Justice in 2021.
The election was a contest of competing masculinities, between what political scientist Blair Williams calls the “state daddy” (Anthony Albanese) and the “daggy dad” (Scott Morrison). Labor targeted women with messages about “care”, while the Coalition donned high-vis and continued to pursue young men who “might vote Labor”.
The (mostly) female community independents added another new gender dynamic. Highly competent professional women who were disaffected with the Liberal party, they ran on integrity, climate action and gender equality, and won some of the Coalition’s safest seats.
The gender gap in favour of Labor in the 2022 election was driven by younger voters (18-34 years) and a strong Greens vote. Women gave the Coalition their lowest ever level of support at just 32%.
So what role might gender play in the 2025 election campaign?
First, the gender gap remains in place. Internal Liberal party polling suggests that many women have returned to the party since 2022, but most polls suggest the gender gap in favour of Labor is still at least around 2%. This gap is most pronounced among younger voters.
Second, while gender issues remain important, they are not electrifying political debate as they did in 2022. According to the latest Newspoll, neither Albanese or Dutton are especially appealing to women voters, who are shifting to the Greens. However, young women (and a majority of young people) still prefer Albanese over Dutton.
This doesn’t mean gender issues won’t play a role, though. Dutton’s threat to curtail working from home (which women especially dislike), and promises to cut public service jobs (and therefore services) might suggest that he has not yet learned the gender lessons from 2022.
Similarly, while Labor has delivered on its policy promises of improving wages in female-dominated industries, voter response to much of Labor’s first term has been tepid at best. However, Labor’s recent announcements on Medicare and bulk-billing will speak to women feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis (according to one poll, middle aged women moved away from Labor in 2024 because of this issue.)
Third, gender is now a fault line in international politics. The resurgence of Donald Trump and his brand of “strongman” masculinity, attacks on women’s and trans rights, online polarisation, and the rise of a “manosphere” spreading (often) misogynistic messages appears to be fuelling a growing divide between young men and women. The lobby group Advance is letterboxing Australian households with leaflets arguing Labor is “Weak, Woke,[and] Sending Us Broke”. They clearly believe Trump-style campaign slogans will win over voters.
Gender polarisation was evident in the recent US election: Trump won young men by 14 points, while Harris won young women by 18 points, though many white women remained loyal to Trump.
Data from Essential suggested that while many Australians regard the Trump administration with dismay, young men (aged 18-35) are the outliers.
These men are also the demographic group most supportive of Dutton’s performance as opposition leader. The 2022 Australian Co-operative Election Study suggested that younger men were less receptive to gender equality. For example, while 70% of women agreed that “Australian society needs to do more to achieve equality between men and women”, only 51% of men agreed. Young men were by far the most hostile to this proposition, perhaps due in part to the polarised social climate of the post-#MeToo era.
Yet it is easy to overstate these gender differences: Intifar Chowdhury’s research showed that while young women are shifting leftwards, so too are young men, though at a relatively slower rate.
Gender gaps in voting intention are particularly apparent among young people. Shutterstock
A generation gap?
The 2025 election is the first where Gen Z and Millennial voters will outnumber Baby Boomers. So while gender differences might determine voting, they will intersect with socioeconomic and generational issues.
While politicians argue over the best way to address the cost of living crisis, young people have grappled with that crisis on top of life-changing HECS-HELP debts, distress over climate change, and a rise in insecure work. Home ownership, a pathway to prosperity for older generations, is out of reach for many Gen Z and Millennials: social researcher Rebecca Huntley found that more than 60% of Australians (and 75% of renters) believe the dream of home ownership is dead for young people. Is it any wonder that young people might despair about their futures?
In response to this rather bleak picture, young women have consistently turned to progressive parties. Like their feminist forebears, these women are looking to the state for rights and protections, which has long been one of the hallmarks of Australian feminism.
Many young men appear to be more sceptical of such solutions. But it is important not to overstate gender differences at a time when generational differences seem more politically salient. It will be fascinating to see if young Australians can leverage their electoral clout to force the next parliament to meaningfully address intergenerational inequality.
Michelle Arrow receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Michelle would like to thank Professor Shaun Wilson for his assistance in researching this article.
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Steven Earl Dickert, 39, of Greenville, S.C., on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.
Investigators state Dickert distributed files of child sexual abuse material.
Dickert was arrested on April 1, 2025. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.
This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.
Racism has no place in the EU. The Political Guidelines for the Commission 2024-2029[1] make clear that action to combat racism remains a priority and commit to proposing a new EU Anti-racism Strategy as one of the main initiatives to be taken forward.
It is for each institution to determine its own administrative organisation. Within the Commission, all services are committed to the same priorities, and work under the leadership of the President and the College of Commissioners.
The coordinators on combatting anti-Muslim hatred and on combatting antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, together with the coordinator for inter-religious dialogue, are now part of the Secretariat-General, ensuring cross-policy coordination on inter-faith exchanges and working together to ensure that the EU is a safe place for everyone, including Jewish and Muslim communities, in line with the priorities set out in the mission letter of the Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.
At the same time, combatting racism remains firmly embedded in the Commission’s work on equality. The new EU Anti-racism Strategy will address all forms of racism under the lead of the Commissioner for Equality, and the anti-racism coordinator will continue to be based within the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, working in close cooperation with all relevant Commission services.
The Commission also remains fully committed to implementing the EU strategic framework for Roma equality, inclusion and participation.
With a return on equity of 13.9%, in the third quarter of 2024, Greek banks’ profitability was ninth among 16 examined euro area countries[1].
One recent independent analysis shows that Greek banks lag behind their European peers in terms of net fee and commission income, representing approximately 17% of total operating income on average in the first half of 2024, below a typical level of around 22% in Europe[2].
Banks operating in the EU can in principle determine their fees and interest rates. Consumers are also free to choose the provider that fits their needs.
While EU legislation generally does not regulate the level of charges, the Payment Account Directive (PAD)[3] requires that the services for payment account with basic features (referred to in Article 17) are offered free of charge or for a reasonable fee[4].
According to the Commission’s information, banks in Greece pay taxes[5]. Banks offset these tax obligations with eligible deferred tax assets (DTAs) or deferred tax credits (DTCs).
Greek banks have accumulated large DTAs due to losses booked during the major restructuring of Greek Government debt in 2012[6] and severe recession which led to tens of billions of euros in provisioning and hence the creation of new DTAs.
A significant portion of Greek banks’ deferred tax assets which benefit from a government guarantee are deferred tax credits and qualify as CET1[7] capital.
In June 2024, DTCs amounted to EUR 12.5 billion[8] and they follow a linear annual amortisation schedule, ending in 2041. Furthermore, a financial transaction tax applies to financial institutions operating in Greece.
Regarding the 5% withholding tax on dividends, the taxation is a competence of Member State authorities.
[3] Directive 2014/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on the comparability of fees related to payment accounts, payment account switching and access to payment accounts with basic features, OJ L 257, 28.8.2014, p. 214-246.
[4] Article 18 clarifies that the reasonable fees are established taking into account at least national income levels and average fees charged by credit institutions in the Member State concerned for services provided on payment accounts.
[5] The nominal corporate tax rate in Greece for credit institutions that fall under the requirements of Article 27A of Law 4172/2013 is 29%, while it is 22% for other legal entities.
The Commission’s recommendation for a -90% net greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2040 is in line with the latest available science and the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement.
As indicated in the Commission Work Programme 2025, the Commission intends to make a proposal in the first quarter of 2025 to amend the European Climate Law Regulation[1] to include this target.
This target would confirm the EU’s science-based approach, and thus giving the EU the necessary credibility to call on other countries to increase their ambition.
As the target is to be included in the proposal to amend the European Climate Law, it will be subject to interinstitutional negotiations before adoption and provides the legal basis for the next EU nationally determined contribution to be submitted ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 30).
The nationally determined contribution which should include the 2040 target, with an indicative figure for 2035, will be subject to the institutional process of approval in Council prior to submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
In 2024, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) obtained several ground-breaking convictions in the fields of international criminal law, national security, terrorism and white-collar crime. Summary penalty orders imposed on international commodities companies and the first trial of a company in the Federal Criminal Court for the bribery of foreign public officials are proof that Swiss corporate criminal law is effective. However, additional legal instruments would make criminal prosecution in this field far more efficient and effective. In its efforts to guarantee Switzerland’s long-term internal security, the OAG is reliant on the Federal Criminal Police being able to provide a sufficient number of investigators.
Question for written answer E-001301/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Yannis Maniatis (S&D)
Maritime Spatial Planning is a crucial tool for the sustainable management of marine resources, the protection of ecosystems and the preservation of biodiversity.
Recently, the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-128/24) ruled that Greece has failed to comply with its obligations under Directive 2014/89/EU, as it: a) failed to prepare a maritime spatial plan by 31 March 2021 and b) failed to send copies of that plan to the Commission and the other Member States concerned.
The importance of completing Maritime Spatial Planning is even greater in countries with extensive maritime areas and environmental challenges, such as Greece.
The Commission is asked:
1.Has the Greek Government adopted and notified it of corrective measures to comply with the relevant EU legislation, following the issuance of the judgment?
2.What measures will the Commission propose to Greece to comply with Directive 2014/89/EU?
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 2, 2025, to 46 months’ imprisonment for violating federal firearms laws and an additional 8 consecutive months of imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Keith Harris, 25, and also ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Harris previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on June 11, 2024. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Additionally, Harris admitted to violating several conditions of his supervised release following a 2022 conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Harris.
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Reagan Morales Roblero (37, Guatemala), has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Roblero faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the attempted transfer of obscene material. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, from July 22 through September 5, 2024, Roblero communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. In actuality, the child was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent (UC). Throughout their conversations, Roblero repeatedly described the sexual activity he wanted to engage in with the child, sending explicit videos to clarify the specific sex acts he desired. On September 5, 2024, after Roblero told the UC that he “want[ed] to make love tonight,” the UC discussed meeting at a motel in in Marion County. Roblero told the UC that the “most private” motel without “cameras” was better for their “protection.” Roblero further stated that he would drive to the motel to see if they could safely meet “because u underage [and] I’m old.” Ultimately, Roblero was arrested by law enforcement in the lobby of the motel. The motel clerk advised law enforcement that Roblero had asked about obtaining a room at the back of the building.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that VICTORIA KATES, 34, of New Britain, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to her fraudulent receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One program created by the CARES Act was a temporary federal unemployment insurance program for pandemic unemployment assistance (“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance”). Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provided unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits for employed individuals who were not eligible for other types of UI due to their employment status. The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”) that provided additional weekly benefits to those eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or regular UI. The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) administers UI benefits for residents of Connecticut.
From March 2020 through May 2021, Kates defrauded the CT-DOL of $217,056 by filing fraudulent unemployment applications with the CT-DOL on behalf of her family, acquaintances, and others. Kates prepared and submitted the original applications and, in certain instances, submitted required weekly recertifications of the applicant’s purported continued unemployment status. Kates took a portion of the payouts as a fee.
As an example, in August 2020, Kates submitted an online unemployment application to the CT-DOL for a friend that made several false representations, including that the applicant was a self-employed driver who worked 40 hours per week, when, in fact, the applicant was neither self-employed nor worked the hours represented. Kates also used her home address as the applicant’s address. Based on the original application and weekly certifications, the CT-DOL made $27,993 in payments, with Kates taking at least $1,000 to $1,500 as a fee. When the CT-DOL demanded proof of legal wages and proof of address, Kates created and provided to the CT-DOL a fraudulent IRS form showing the applicant’s purported gross wages for 2019, and a cropped photograph of a business envelope to make it appear that the applicant had lived at the represented address.
Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds were to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll.
The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
In 2021, Kates applied for and received $16,250 through the PPP loan program by making false representations, including overstating her yearly gross income. Kates also provided a false IRS filing to support the income figure on the application. She subsequently provided additional fraudulent information to obtain forgiveness of the loan.
Kates pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for September 2. Kates is released on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Police have charged an Antigonish man with drug trafficking offences and seized drugs and weapons after executing a search warrant in Afton Station.
On April 2, the Antigonish-Guysborough RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant at a residence on West Arm Branch Rd. in Afton Station as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.
Officers safely arrested a man and seized cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, prescription drugs, and drug paraphernalia. They also seized firearms and ammunition, a baton, and brass knuckles. Additionally, officers recovered a 2019 Keystone camper trailer that had been reported stolen.
Jed Douglas Decoste, 34, of Antigonish, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (three counts). He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Antigonish Provincial Court on May 14.
The ongoing investigation is assisted by the Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit (PCISCEU), the Port Hawkesbury Street Crime Enforcement Unit, and the Antigonish County District RCMP. Additional charges are anticipated.
Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime, including the illegal sale of drugs, in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.
TEXARKANA, Texas – Three men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a tax refund fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Imafedia Adevokhai, 47, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to money laundering on February 15, 2023, and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on April 2, 2025. Adevokhai was ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $3500 in forfeiture.
Michael Martin, 52, of Texarkana, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on February 14, 2023, and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by Judge Schroeder on November 21, 2023. Martin was ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $121,623.41 in forfeiture.
Osazuwa Peter Okunoghae, 46, of Houston, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on November 12, 2019, and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by Judge Schroeder on January 13, 2022. Okunoghae was ordered to pay $451,117.63 in restitution and $451,117.63 in forfeiture.
“The Eastern District of Texas is committed to prosecuting individuals who participate in schemes to steal personal information, prepare and file fraudulent tax returns, and launder the proceeds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “Crimes like these affect all of us, the individual victims whose identities are stolen and used to file fraudulent tax returns, the taxpayers, who are left with the bill, and our financial institutions, which are manipulated and misused to launder the proceeds.”
“Adevokhai, Martin, and Okunoghae, along with others, created a complex scheme to steal the tax refunds of law-abiding U.S. taxpayers through stolen identity refund fraud,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “The women and men of IRS-CI did an outstanding job of uncovering this fraudulent activity and bringing the individuals to justice. Their sentences should be a warning to anyone who would try to defraud the U.S. Government or prey on law-abiding taxpayers.”
According to information presented in court, Adevokhai, Martin, Okunoghae, and others were involved in a multi-year stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) conspiracy involving the theft of victims’ personal identifying information and the use of the stolen information to file fraudulent tax returns. The total tax refunds claimed by the fraudulent returns was $4,945,886, and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, suffered at least a $390,220.40 loss. Adevokhai was involved in the preparation and filing of many of the fraudulent tax returns. Okunoghae and Martin were involved in the laundering of the stolen funds. To that end, they worked together and with others who would transfer fraud proceeds through United States financial accounts and ultimately to foreign financial accounts. The investigation connected Adevokhai, Martin, and Okunoghae to dozens of victims whose taxpayer identities were stolen.
In January 2019, individuals from three states and other individuals from Nigeria were charged for their roles in the conspiracy.
One of the Department of Justice Tax Division’s top priorities is prosecuting individuals who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fraudulent tax returns. SIRF schemes threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for law-abiding taxpayers and have cost the United States Treasury billions of dollars.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Sean Taylor.
Massillon, OH – This morning, members of the US Marshals led, Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Unique Thorn, 26, in Massillon, OH. Thorn was wanted through the Baltimore City Police Department for murder.
It is alleged that on March 18, 2025, Thorn shot and killed a female victim near the 700 block of East Preston Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Thorn is alleged to have fled Baltimore following the incident and investigators determined she was residing in Massillon, Ohio. Late this morning, members of the NOVFTF located and arrested Thorn at a residence in the 1700 block of Alpha Street NW, Massillon. Thorn was booked into the Stark County Jail where she will await her extradition back to Baltimore.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Outstanding collaborative police work from Baltimore, Maryland to Massillon, Ohio resulted in the arrest of this fleeing and violent fugitive. Strong law enforcement partnerships between local police departments and the US Marshals Service contributes to safer communities for the citizens of the United States.”
Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.
The NOVFTF Canton Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies: United States Marshals Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, North Canton Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Perry Township Police Department, Stark County Park District, and Stark County Probation.
#Antigonish County District RCMP is asking for public assistance to identify a man in relation to an incident that occurred on March 16 at a convenience store on James St. in Antigonish. The man is believed to have entered the store with three other people and caused damage to some of the store’s product. He is described as having blonde hair, cut in a mullet style. He was wearing a Ford Trucks jacket at the time of the incident.
Anyone who can identify the man or has information about this incident is asked to contact Antigonish County District RCMP at 902-863-6500. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Justice Department today announced that it will boost FBI assets across the country over the next six months to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country through Operation Not Forgotten.
The FBI will send a total of 60 personnel, rotating in temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to select FBI field offices across the United States, including Arizona. Operation Not Forgotten is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. The detailed FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. FBI Phoenix will receive 11 agents on a rotating basis over the next six months, who will be spread across offices in Arizona.
FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and will work in partnership with Tribal law enforcement agencies across the country.
“Protection of the public is one of the key responsibilities of the Department of Justice. Here in Arizona, the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI have a special trust relationship with the 22 federally recognized tribes in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Operation Not Forgotten reflects the continued commitment of the federal government to pursue justice for crime victims in all Native American communities.”
“Our FBI personnel and Safe Trails Task Forces work closely every single day with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes of violence throughout the many tribal territories in Arizona,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “We are responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and this initiative will provide much needed additional resources to help us better serve those same communities by assisting victims and bringing criminals to justice.”
“Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.
Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams will testify before his Judiciary subcommittee next week on allegations that Facebook cooperated with the Communist regime in China to build censorship tools, punish dissidents, and make American users’ data available for Chinese use.
Big News — Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams will testify NEXT WEEK in public, under oath, before my judiciary subcommittee re: her explosive evidence of Facebook’s cooperation with the Communist regime in China, including FB’s plans to build censorship tools, punish…
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 2, 2025
Senator Hawley is the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. More details on the hearing, entitled “A Time for Truth: Oversight of Meta’s Foreign Relations and Representations to the United States Congress,” are forthcoming.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla Pushes Trump Environment, Energy Nominees to Protect California’s National Monuments and Hydrogen Hub
WATCH: Padilla highlights importance of national monuments and ARCHES hydrogen hub for California’s clean energy goalsWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) questioned nominees for Department of the Interior (DOI) and Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary positions on their support for California’s national monuments and hydrogen hub following recent threats from the Trump Administration to eliminate them.
California’s National Monuments
During the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) nominations hearing, Padilla successfully pushed Katharine MacGregor, President Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Interior, to acknowledge the broad bipartisan and local support for California’s Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments, which President Biden established earlier this year at Padilla’s urging. He also emphasized the critical importance of local and tribal involvement in public land management.
Amid the Trump Administration’s orders aimed at elevating energy production on public lands and reviewing national monument protections, Padilla called on Interior to, as part of this review, meet with California’s Congressional delegation, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the state’s energy agencies, local officials, and crucially, the tribal leaders who spearheaded the movement behind the creation of these monuments. Padilla pointed out that these monuments had received endorsements from energy utilities and developers and were intentionally crafted to avoid including areas with energy potential.
Padilla also pressed MacGregor on whether local and tribal leaders should have a role in public land management decisions, to which MacGregor agreed.
PADILLA: As a matter of policy, do you believe that local communities and tribal leaders should have a say in the management of their public lands?
MACGREGOR: I think local involvement is something that everyone on this dais agrees with.
PADILLA: Okay, well, I’m talking just about you, not the folks on the dais, you’re the nominee before us…
MACGREGOR: Local involvement is embedded in almost all the organic acts at the Department, so yes.
PADILLA: Good, good faith consultation and engagement is what we’re looking for.
California is home to some of the nation’s most pristine public lands, which not only preserve our natural heritage but also fuel California’s tourism and local economies. These protected landscapes generate billions of dollars in annual revenue, creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and enriching communities. However, Trump’s orders to prioritize energy development over all other uses of public lands pose a threat to landscapes with immense cultural, environmental, and economic value. These lands also offer vast opportunities for outdoor recreation — such as hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing — which further support local economies.
ARCHES Hydrogen Hub
Padilla also questioned James Danly, Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of Energy, on his support for the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) hydrogen hub. The Trump Administration is reportedly considering major cuts to hydrogen hub projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Democratic-leaning states, including California, while preserving the projects in Republican-leaning states.
Padilla highlighted the importance of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program to “jumpstart” the national hydrogen economy and urged Danly to work with California to protect the vital funding Padilla secured for ARCHES. After initially dodging Padilla’s questions about whether he would meet with ARCHES leadership, Danly said he would have “no objection” to talking with them.
PADILLA: California, proudly, was the first state in the nation to launch a hydrogen hub — we refer to it as ARCHES — which will facilitate a network of hydrogen production sites to catalyze the use of hydrogen throughout California and, frankly, jumpstart the hydrogen economy, not just in California, but across the country. The California hub enjoys bipartisan support from our California delegation. However, last week, the Department of Energy “cut list” reportedly included ARCHES and other hydrogen hubs to be cut. So I want to point out that ARCHES, again, is not just critical to California, but critical to our national economy.
Senator Padilla has been a strong supporter of the development of clean hydrogen power in California. Padilla secured up to $1.2 billion for the ARCHES hydrogen hub from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and sent a letter to former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the Department of Energy to support ARCHES’ proposal as part of its Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. He celebrated the official launch of the ARCHES hydrogen hub last year at an in-person event showcasing hydrogen-powered transportation.
Video of Padilla’s full line of questioning is available here.
More information on the hearing is available here.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a fatal fentanyl overdose in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Lawrence Duguett Hardin, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 1, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to an overdose death in Humble, Texas. Autopsy results determined the victim died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl. An investigation determined Hardin to be responsible for supplying the fentanyl that led to the individual’s death. A search warrant was executed at Hardin’s residence in Orange and a substance containing fentanyl and weighing 365.2 grams was discovered.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; Orange Police Department; Houston Police Department; West Orange Police Department; Bridge City Police Department; Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4; Jefferson County Crime Laboratory; and Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and Rachel Grove.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Centralia man to 125 months in federal prison for possessing three firearms as a convicted felon in three separate incidents with police.
Lamar R. Bennett, 33, pleaded guilty in July to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
“Three brushes with the law by one defiant felon—this sentence of more than a decade in federal prison sends a strong message that repeat offenders who defy the law can expect to face certain justice in the federal system,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents, Bennett was convicted as a felon in possession of a firearm in Marion County Circuit Court in 2020, further barring him from legally possessing firearms.
Bennett was the driver of a vehicle in a single-car crash in Washington County on April 21, 2023. Following the accident, Bennett placed a Smith and Wesson 9-millimeter pistol behind a concrete barrier on the side of the highway. Law enforcement recovered the firearm.
On Oct. 14, 2023, emergency personnel and law enforcement responded to Bennett’s residence in Jefferson County. Officers observed a Glock 43X pistol in his sweatshirt and recovered the firearm.
On November 23, 2023, law enforcement tried to conduct a traffic stop on Bennett’s vehicle in Marion County, but he fled. Ultimately, Bennett was apprehended and law enforcement recovered one Ruger SR9C pistol from him.
“This investigation and sentencing are a direct result of FBI Springfield Field Office’s dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent threats in our territory,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “This sentencing is a direct warning to those who continue criminal activity in our area.”
Following imprisonment, Bennett will serve three years of supervised release.
The FBI Springfield Field Office, Centralia Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.
Defendant Defrauded Hundreds of Victims in Three Countries and More than 30 States Who Invested More than $24.5 Million in Sham Loan Programs
Earlier today, at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Francius Marganda was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 18 years’ imprisonment for running a $24.5 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of predominantly Indonesian and Indo-American victim investors. Marganda, an Indonesian national, led the scheme until it unraveled in 2021 and he fled the United States. Marganda was extradited to the United States from Singapore in November 2023 and pleaded guilty to securities fraud in July 2024. As part of his sentence, Marganda was ordered to pay $8.5 million in restitution and $7.5 million in forfeiture.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence.
“Marganda’s attempt to evade justice by fleeing halfway across the world to hide in fancy hotels was futile, as he found out today in a federal courtroom in Brooklyn,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “No matter how far defendants may flee, this Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to make sure they are brought to justice. It is my hope that this prosecution will bring some measure of relief to the victims of Marganda’s fraud, who trusted him with their life savings because of their shared nationality and were cruelly exploited by him.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the DOJ Attachés based in Manila and Bangkok; law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché, the HSI Attaché, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations Office; and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers, for their assistance with Marganda’s arrest and extradition to the United States. Mr. Durham also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth Regional Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Federal Trade Commission; the New York State Attorney General’s Office; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New York County District Attorney’s Office; the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Police Department; the Westford Police Department, Westford, Massachusetts; the Richfield Police Department, Richfield, Minnesota; and the Lexington Police Department, Lexington, South Carolina, for their assistance in this matter.
Francius Marganda financially crippled hundreds of victims after collectively stealing millions of dollars to fund his personal lifestyle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The defendant enticed prospective investors across the globe with empty promises of guaranteed returns from his illegitimate companies, and subsequently created an alias to flee the country when his web of lies unraveled. The FBI will continue to pursue any individual who exploits others through fraudulent means, regardless of where they may hide.”
HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso stated: “Francius Marganda’s heartless scheme caused irreparable emotional, psychological, and in some cases even physical damage to many of his more than 200 victims. Marganda swindled the innocent, well-meaning public out of over $23 million, and then fled the country as his shameless conspiracy crumbled. Marganda left hardworking families without money they desperately needed for crucial, life-altering expenses — among them, cancer treatments, medical procedures, and college tuition — and with no opportunities to recoup their lost savings. While no amount of prison time can make up for the irreversible pain Marganda and his co-conspirators have caused, we are thankful to the special agents and officers from HSI’s El Dorado Task Force, together with the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, for securing whatever justice possible on behalf of his victims.”
From May 2019 to May 2021, while residing in New York after overstaying his visa, Marganda orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors by soliciting investments in two sham programs called Easy Transfer and Global Transfer, which Marganda and his co-conspirators falsely represented were short-term, high-interest loan programs in which investors would earn passive income. Marganda and his co-conspirators promised rates of return as high as 200% or more. On a near-daily basis, multiple investors were deceived into signing investment contracts.
Marganda and his co-conspirators misappropriated the invested funds for their own benefit, including by buying real estate and luxury goods, and paying off credit card bills. They also laundered proceeds into their bank accounts. As an example, more than $3.8 million in scheme proceeds was transferred into just one of Marganda’s personal accounts over the course of 11 months, and more than $264,000 in proceeds in the account was used to pay off his credit card bills.
The Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed in May 2021, when Marganda and his co-conspirators stopped making payments to investors. Marganda fled the United States, obtained an Indonesian passport under a fake name, and used the scheme funds to pay for lavish stays in luxury hotels around the world, including in France, the Maldives, Nepal, and Thailand, until he was apprehended abroad and extradited to the Eastern District of New York.
To date, 237 victims, ranging in age from 24 to 84, have identified losses of more than $24.5 million because of the defendant’s scheme. The victims reside in the District of Columbia and at least 31 states, including New York, as well as in Indonesia and Malaysia. Many of the victims had limited means and had pooled their resources with relatives and friends to make investments in U.S. dollars and Indonesian rupiah.
Judge Irizarry considered statements prepared by dozens of victims in connection with the sentencing hearing held earlier today. Many reported that, as a result of the defendant’s conduct, they declared bankruptcy or lost nearly all of their savings. Because of the financial loss, one victim struggled to pay for a family member’s chemotherapy, while another struggled to pay for medical expenses associated with a family member’s Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. One victim lacked the funds to travel and pay respects after both of the victim’s parents died. Multiple victims suffered other serious losses and hardships.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.
The Defendant:
FRANCIUS MARGANDA Age: 42 Jakarta, Indonesia and formerly of Queens, New York
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Donghui Liao (32, China) to 33 months in federal prison for possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices (gift cards). Liao entered a guilty plea on December 16, 2024.
According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, a large retail store had been the victim of an ongoing organized gift card fraud scheme. The structure of the scheme involved individuals stealing gift cards from the store, obtaining the account information from the back of the cards, resealing the cards in their original packaging, and placing the gift cards back onto the shelves of a different store location for customers to purchase. Once a customer purchased the gift card and loaded funds onto it, the fraudsters had access to the funds without the customer’s knowledge.
On October 17, 2023, an officer with the Ocala Police Department observed Liao retrieving numerous gift cards from a black shoulder bag he was wearing and placing those gift cards on the retailer’s gift card display. Liao was also observed taking gift cards off the shelves and concealing them inside his bag before leaving the store.
Seventy-one of the gift cards that Liao had placed on the shelves showed signs of alteration and forgery. A search of Liao’s vehicle revealed 6,032 additional stolen gift cards. The combined value of the gift cards in Liao’s vehicle (pictured below), if purchased and activated by customers, would have been $1.886 million. Store surveillance identified Liao performing this same scheme on at least 28 other occasions at different locations in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.
“Gift card scams endanger retailers, consumers, and overall public safety,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI is actively collaborating with law enforcement at all levels to combat organized crime involved in these schemes. Our proactive approach aims to raise awareness and disrupt fraud that could cost hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars. This successful prosecution in Florida highlights our commitment to addressing this issue on a global scale.”
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Organised Immigration Crime Summit organised by the United Kingdom on the 31 March 2025: UK statement to the OSCE
Ambassador Holland updates on UK and partners’ efforts to fight against Organised Immigration Crime and the protection of our collective border security.
Thank you Chair.
I would like to update the Council on the Organised Immigration Crime Summit convened by the UK in London earlier this week. The Summit brought together a range of partners, countries and international organisations in the global fight against Organised Immigration Crime and the protection of our collective border security.
The threat from Organised Immigration Crime is increasing in scale and complexity, spanning multiple countries, nationalities, and criminal methodologies. Criminal gangs are now using sophisticated online tactics to lure potential customers. They are abusing legitimate supply chains, and they are using criminal financial networks to facilitate dangerous and illegal journeys which put thousands of lives at risk each year.
This is a global threat, with no respect for national borders. Without firm action, organised crime groups will continue to profit at the expense of vulnerable migrants and international security.
We must strengthen global cooperation, disrupt criminal networks, and prevent further loss of life.
No single country can tackle these criminal gangs alone. Only a coordinated international response, across the whole irregular migration route, can effectively dismantle these networks. Disrupting criminal financial flows, particularly the cross-border movement of illicit cash and commodities, requires all countries to work together across supply chains.
This event engaged both European nations and key source and transit countries, ensuring a broader, more comprehensive approach to tackling Organised Immigration Crime. It delivered across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and North America by strengthening international partnerships, enhancing intelligence-sharing, and implementing targeted disruptions to crime networks.
Through effective partnerships and shared international commitments, we can deliver change. Together, we can dismantle the online advertising and recruitment networks used by criminal gangs, target the financial enablers of irregular migration through operational disruption and promote an integrated approach to better understanding the scale of Organised Immigration Crime financial flows.
I look forward to next week’s Security Committee meeting on irregular migration which I hope can consider the OSCE’s role on this issue. Tackling irregular migration, and specifically, people smuggling, requires a united, determined, sustained and sustainable, effort. Together, we can drive meaningful action, ensuring a safer and more secure future for all.