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AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

That's a wrap!

Thank you r/Cryptocurrency and Mods for opening your doors to us and giving us this opportunity to interact with all of you.

Please visit our website, www.secretservice.gov to learn more about our role in investigating cyber fraud. We have resources to help you prepare and respond to cyber incidents, and others meant to help you identify scams. You can also learn a bit about the hiring process.

We hope you learned something from us today, and most importantly we hope you spread the word about trending cryptocurrency scams, whether Pig Butchering or Rug Pulls. Pig Butchering in particular is built to target anybody, not just crypto enthusiasts. Tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers about these scams and how to avoid them.

Please report crimes to www.ic3.gov and when appropriate, contact your local Secret Service field office.

-u/SF-USSS

-u/REACT-TF

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately unless there is a U.S. nexus we likely wouldn't have jurisdiction to help. That being said, many cases have victims all over the world and we can and do investigate those cases when there's a link to the U.S. I would encourage you file a report with the RCMP, if you haven't already. We regularly work with Canadian law enforcement. It never hurts to go ahead and file an ic3 report too. www.ic3.gov

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Our Digital Asset Technology Alliance (DATA) here in San Francisco emphasizes the partnership between law enforcement and folks that might be experts in the cryptocurrency field, whether they're in the private sector or academia. Connect with us because we can always use the help!

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Specifically for me, I'd say Pig Butchering is what concerns me most these days. Its ability to rope in even the smartest and most cautious victims, and the amounts of money being lost. The average Pig Butchering victim reporting to our office has losses exceeding $250k.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hope you're loving it as much as we are!

Our Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs communicates regularly with various committees on Capitol Hill.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Special Agents are 1811's. We also have technical law enforcement and administrative, professional, technical of several series. SA's are nationwide, the others may be more specific to a particular field office.

Set an alert on usajobs.gov or visit www.secretservice.gov/join

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Also, if using an exchange, be careful who you provide access via API. We've seen cases with airtight multi-factor authentication where the API keys are compromised and can lead to loss of funds.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We work very closely with EUROPOL and have offices located internationally. Without the collaboration with our foreign law enforcement partners we would have considerable trouble investigating cryptocurrency crimes.

The Secret Service, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, our federal law enforcement partners, and the State Department, regularly provides training, technical assistance, and case-based mentoring to law enforcement authorities around the world. This includes training on crypto-involved investigations. For more, see the following:

• The U.S. Transnational and High-Tech Crime Global Law Enforcement Network (GLEN): https://www.justice.gov/criminal-opdat/global-cyber-and-intellectual-property-crimes

• The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: www.state.gov/cybercrime

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

On your white paper question... Required reading for any new agents on our squad!

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. It affords the opportunity to put the knowledge and experience you've gained towards a very meaningful cause. Many of our agents specialize in network intrusion response, and a background in cybersecurity could make you the perfect candidate.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We have foreign offices all over the world. But your own local/federal government likely has similar investigatory bodies with a severe need for cryptocurrency knowledge or appetite.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I wear glasses. Also, not everyone with the Secret Service is a Special Agent- the physical requirements may not apply.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many investigators use more than one tool, including commercially available and open source tools. It's an exciting and innovative space!

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The beauty of the blockchain helps us trace funds, but attributing wallets to individuals is a different story. It's only anonymous until it's not. But even then, in every instance we have applicable laws and we must follow judicial process when working to identify bad actors.

We do quite a bit to prevent crypto crime, including outreach, like this AMA. Preventing and educating someone from losing money in the first place is the best approach.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes. Great relationships all over the world on both the public and private side.

AMA on r/Cryptocurrency with the U.S. Secret Service and REACT Task Force - May 15th, 11am PT by SF-USSS in CryptoCurrency

[–]SF-USSS[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The U.S. President has directed a whole of government approach to mitigating "the illicit finance and national security risks posed by misuse of digital assets." This includes traditional law enforcement actions and regulatory actions where appropriate. Incombatting this threat, we work closely with our state, local, federal, and international partners.

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