I NTE GRI TY Q UALIT Y S ER VIC E INFORMANTINFORMANT The magazine for professionals who support the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of economic and high-tech crime VOL. 2, NO. 3, NOVEMBER 2006 - FEBRUARY 2007 Steganography Survey Conducted by NW3C, Purdue, and Backbone Security Case Highlights: Internet Coin Fraud in Alabama Take a Look Inside an NW3C Class Auction Fraud in Iowa Tax Fraud in North Carolina Crime Spotlight: Online Auction Fraud www.nw3c.org Merrill Lynch is proud to be a sponsor of — the — 2006 ECONOMIC CRIME SUMMIT ————— PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND OCTOBER 24-25, 2006 ————— ml.com CONTENTS NW3C Board of Directors FEatURE ARTICLES Chairman 3 Board of Directors Spotlight: Mike Stevenson Glen B. Gainer III 6 NW3C Members Corner Vice Chairman Brian Flood 9 Instructor Spotlight: Detective Cynthia Shaw Secretary 10 Training Course Descriptions and Schedule Christopher Cotta Washington State Securities Administrator Mike Stevenson is the NW3C Board Director for 18 An Inside View of an NW3C Class: Cyber Investigation 201 - the West region. He has served on the NW3C Board of Directors for nine years and was Treasurer Basic Online Technical Skills (BOTS) recently appointed the Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Stevenson recently took a few Paul Cordia moments from his busy day to tell us a little about himself: 22 Crime SpotliGHT: Online auction fraud 22 Online Auction Fraud: From Caveat Emptor to Caveat Venditor How long have you been involved with NW3C and how did you learn about 26 How the eBay™ Fraud Investigations Team (FIT) Supports Law REGions the organization? Enforcement Agencies My agency, the Washington Securities Division, formally joined NW3C in 1994. When Great Lakes: joining, we were well aware of the benefits of NW3C, having worked with its predeces- Philip Rosenthal 28 Case Summaries: sor, the Leviticus Project. • The Internet Coin Caper Midwest: • Guilty Plea in eBay™ Auction Fraud Case How long have you been a Board Member and are you involved in any NW3C Paul Cordia • Investigation Ends in Guilty Plea and Jail Sentence for Tax Fraud committees? Perpetrator Mountain: In 1997, I became an Alternate Board Member for the West Region. This gave me the Kathleen Kempley 30 NW3C, Purdue University, and Backbone Security Conduct opportunity to serve on the Strategic Planning, Awards, and Audit Committees prior to Comprehensive “Steganography Survey” becoming a full Board member in July 2005. Northeast: Christopher Cotta 31 IC3 Alerts Tell me about your role with the Washington Securities Division... As the Securities Administrator for the State, my mission is to protect the public from a South Central: 33 NW3C News myriad of investment scams and frauds. More people than ever invest in securities, for Mike Stevenson Brian Flood business, college, retirement, and for other personal goals. Companies and promoters Securities Administrator, Washington 35 NW3C Member Highlights from around the world seek capital in the United States, which provides a constant chal- Securities Commission, and Southeast: lenge to prevent and prosecute financial crimes. NW3C West Region Board Member Michael Brown How long have you been there? Tell me about your career background... West: During my career of thirty years now, I have seen many changes in the way law enforcement approaches its job. Our agency Michael Stevenson belongs to two regional corporate crime groups made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that share informa- tion and combine resources to combat organized and complex crimes. While there will always be competition, cooperation and teamwork plays a much greater role, and that is one of the great strengths of belonging to NW3C. editorial staff What do you like best about your job? courtney tan • lee dail • april tillar • laura kenny • cam brandon • loreal bond Even in a single day, I enjoy doing a wide variety of things: along with managing an office of 45 employees, I might be participat- ing in the preparation of a specific case, drafting legislation, and working on a consumer education presentation. I have watched This publication is produced with the support of grant #2006-MU-MU-K002, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of our Division prepare more than 150 criminal cases resulting in almost as many convictions. Knowing that I have contributed to Justice Programs. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, coordinates the activities of the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims some of these results, even in a small way, brings a great deal of satisfaction to me. of Crime. Points of view in this newsletter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) is the copyright owner of the Informant. This information may not be used or reproduced in any form Tell me about your family and your personal interests... without the express written permission of NW3C. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. For additional information, please contact My wife, Shanna, directs the Women’s History Consortium for the State of Washington. My daughter, Jennifer, practices law and Courtney Tan in the Communications Department at [email protected]. ©2006. NW3C, Inc. d/b/a the National White Collar Crime Center. All rights reserved. my son, Edward, works in construction management, both in Seattle, Washington. My sports are skiing, squash, and tennis. q 3 NORTHEAST REGION CHRIS COTTA BOARD ELECTION RESULTS BOARD DIRECTOR Chris Cotta, Auditor for the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General, Criminal Division, joined NW3C’s Board as a Director in 2002 after having served as 1st alternate for the Northeast for two terms. Mr Cotta commented, “I’ve found NW3C to be a special place that has assisted numerous state and local agencies in their fight against economic and high tech crime. They are very unique in that they leverage their resources so they can help as many as possible. As long as I serve as your representative from the Northeast, MIDWEST REGION I will ensure that your voices are heard and training will continue to be provided regularly. In addition to all of PAUL CORDIA their other services continuing to be provided for free for all of our state and local agencies.” BOARD DIRECTOR Paul Cordia joined the NW3C Board of Directors in August of 2000, representing the Midwest Region. For the past eight years Sergeant Cordia has supervised the Computer Forensic Section for the Missouri SOUTHEAST REGION State Highway Patrol. MICHAEL BROWN Mr Cordia stated, “Things have never been brighter for the National White Collar Crime Center and I am BOARD DIRECTOR very excited about the upcoming year and continuing to serve as the Midwest Regional Board Member. Our Midwest Region has grown substantially in the last several years, which in turn prompts more re- Sheriff Brown is a retired Senior Special Agent, United States Treasury Department, Criminal Enforcement quests for training and support. NW3C has always strived to meet those requests and will continue to try Division (ATF) and is currently serving as the Sheriff for Bedford County, VA. to meet more training requests as the budget allows. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for NW3C representing the Midwest Region.” Sheriff Brown stated, “NW3C, since 1980, has significantly enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement throughout this country and it has done so with a fraction of the financial support ex- tended to other entities of similar responsibility. In this regard, I see NW3C continuing its basic mission of nationwide support for agencies involved in the cyber/high-tech arena, but with additional emphasis KEN NIX added in the area of training and professional development. I see NW3C continuing to set high standards FIRST ALTERNATE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE for excellence, reflecting high ideals, inspiring commitment, being positive and proactive and communicat- ing clearly to its member agencies.” Detective Nix has been employed with the Clayton Police Department for 28 years and is currently the Operations Supervisor for the Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group (RCCEEG), a forensic investigation group designed to assist agencies in Missouri. Det. Nix is an investigator for cases related to child exploitation/child pornography, and conducts computer forensic examinations for cases LESTER “CHIP” JOHNSON related to children. FIRST ALTERNATE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE “An agency that is not aware of the available assistance that is offered by NW3C can not move forward in Captain Lester J. “Chip” Johnson, a twenty-five year law enforcement veteran, is the Special Agent in Charge the fast paced world of advanced criminal activity. I have and would like to continue to assist in increasing of the Criminal Justice Information Services, which includes the South Carolina Computer Crime Center. the membership of NW3C, thus improving it’s visibility,” said Mr. Nix. According to Mr. Johnson, “NW3C has a long standing tradition of providing a much needed service to law enforcement officers across the Country. I have had an opportunity to witness the tireless efforts of the Board of Directors as they have set forth to guide NW3C in a positive direction by providing the guidance and sup- port to the Director and his staff as they have re-organized and established a firm and solid foundation by GARY ENGEL which NW3C will stand and continue to grow.” SECOND ALTERNATE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE JOHN WHITAKER Gary Engel is Commander of the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Lincoln Police Department with a law SECOND ALTERNATE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE enforcement career of 35 years.