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... I'm not going to shed tears, considering all the ways that the US gov currently wastes money. Did you know that Donald J Trump has a full secret service retinue, bought and paid for by the taxpayers?

According to the Secret Service FAQ major candidates for office have been afforded protection since the assassination of Robert Kennedy. It appears that there are enough crazies that want to vote for him, and shoot him. I personally feel the money is well spent to protect the electoral process.

By "world ends" I mean the one of the many standard post apocalyptic scenarios of a natural or man made cataclysmic disaster where it doesn't make sense to put resources into keeping high technology printing presses working at the expense of other important infrastructure such as power plants and factories. And since dollar bills rot, the carrying costs are high (they would need to be stored carefully to avoid flooding, etc), and when handled regularly they have an average lifespan of only about 18 months. In a low technology world, precious metals are a pretty good technology for facilitating trade.

The US is using its national intelligence agencies to obtain intelligence on terrorists trying to kill people.

Yes, and obtaining intelligence on political movements like Occupy Wall Street.

The intelligence agencies themselves don't have police powers.

Oh? What's that you say? TFA is about warrantless surveillance undertaken by the FBI, which is the federal agency with explicit domestic police powers.

The suspect in this case is accused of assisting a terrorist group.

Under the USA PATRIOT Act, providing "material support" to a terrorist group can be as simple as expressing support for it. And having a terrorism suspect browse your web site is enough to spark a secret investigation of your organization which scares away many of the donors who keep it in operation.

East Germany's secret police had both an intelligence function and police powers.

The FBI, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, at least, are agencies with police powers and intelligence operations. Heck, even the NYPD is in on the deal.

Their primary purpose was to keep the East German Communist party in power.

Given that NSA snooping hasn't indisputably foiled even a single terrorist plot, and the FBI instigated virtually all of the "terrorist" plots they've busted, I have to wonder what is the primary purpose of these agencies. Surely not to intimidate political dissidents!

You could be arrested and imprisoned for such things as making jokes about the nation's leadership, wanting to form a new political party,

Here in the U.S., they've at least figured out that making jokes about the leadership is essentially harmless and does nothing to erode their power. If people started to rise up to challenge them, we might see that change; the architecture of oppression is in place. As for forming a new political party, it does no harm to talk of it, because it's essentially impossible due to the laws in most areas which protect the two incumbent parties.

being a member of an unapproved church,

Like a mosque?

trying to leave the country without permission (could get you shot on the spot)

It won't get you shot, but you apparently can't leave without permission. The U.S. apparently has more finesse than East Germany did.

and many other possible infractions.

There are plenty of other infractions that'll get you in trouble, like walking while black,

The Secret Service exists to protect the president and his family.

Well, only partially right. The main job of the Security Service is related to the various tasks of the Treasury Department and money handling - counterfeit money, etc. (Yeah, FBI does some investigative work; but the job is primarily one for the Treasury Department and the Secret Service. Apparently the law creating DHS also moved the SS to DHS.) It was just convient that it didn't report to the Executive Branch and therefore they also got the job of protection of the high level Executive Officials (POTUS, VP, etc) when it was deemed necessary.

And yes - the POTUS cannot tell the Secret Service what to do, and that is by design - so that the POTUS cannot overrule the Secret Service and therefore put himself in harms way.

Secret Service on Wikipedia
Secret Service's History

I like how you stopped reading at question #2 on the FAQ.

Try number 6:

Under Title 18, Section 3056, of the United States Code, agents and officers of the United States Secret Service can:
[...]
Investigate fraud in connection with identification documents, fraudulent commerce, fictitious instruments and foreign securities and
Perform other functions and duties authorized by law

Or, from their Criminal Investigations page:

Criminal investigations can be international in scope. These investigations include: [...] identity crimes such as access device fraud, identity theft, false identification fraud, bank fraud and check fraud; telemarketing fraud; telecommunications fraud (cellular and hard wire); computer fraud; fraud targeting automated payment systems and teller machines; direct deposit fraud; investigations of forgery, uttering, alterations, false impersonations or false claims involving U.S. Treasury Checks, U.S. Saving Bonds, U.S. Treasury Notes, Bonds and Bills;[...]

You think secretly installing software on someone else's computers, using that software to take photos of hundreds of people, and upload them to some remote server wouldn't reasonably make you suspicious that some identity theft or other fraud might be going on?

I like how you stopped reading at question #2 on the FAQ.

Try number 6:

Under Title 18, Section 3056, of the United States Code, agents and officers of the United States Secret Service can:
[...]
Investigate fraud in connection with identification documents, fraudulent commerce, fictitious instruments and foreign securities and
Perform other functions and duties authorized by law

Or, from their Criminal Investigations page:

Criminal investigations can be international in scope. These investigations include: [...] identity crimes such as access device fraud, identity theft, false identification fraud, bank fraud and check fraud; telemarketing fraud; telecommunications fraud (cellular and hard wire); computer fraud; fraud targeting automated payment systems and teller machines; direct deposit fraud; investigations of forgery, uttering, alterations, false impersonations or false claims involving U.S. Treasury Checks, U.S. Saving Bonds, U.S. Treasury Notes, Bonds and Bills;[...]

You think secretly installing software on someone else's computers, using that software to take photos of hundreds of people, and upload them to some remote server wouldn't reasonably make you suspicious that some identity theft or other fraud might be going on?

Electronic Crime Task Forces

On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3162, the USA PATRIOT Act. The U.S. Secret Service was mandated by this Act to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs). The concept of the ECTF network is to bring together not only federal, state and local law enforcement, but also prosecutors, private industry and academia. The common purpose is the prevention, detection, mitigation and aggressive investigation of attacks on the nation's financial and critical infrastructures.

The Secret Service's ECTF and Electronic Crimes Working Group initiatives prioritize investigative cases that involve electronic crimes. These initiatives provide necessary support and resources to field investigations that meet any one of the following criteria:

Significant economic or community impact
Participation of organized criminal groups involving multiple districts or transnational organizations
Use of schemes involving new technology

Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups

Criminal Investigations

Identity Crimes - Identity crimes are defined as the misuse of personal or financial identifiers in order to gain something of value and/or facilitate other criminal activity. The Secret Service is the primary federal agency tasked with investigating identity theft/fraud and its related activities under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028. Identity crimes are some of the fastest growing and most serious economic crimes in the United States for both financial institutions and persons whose identifying information has been illegally used. The Secret Service records criminal complaints, assists victims in contacting other relevant investigative and consumer protection agencies and works with other federal, state and local law enforcement and reporting agencies to identify perpetrators.

Identity crimes investigated by the Secret Service include, but are not limited to, the following:

Credit Card/Access Device Fraud (Skimming)
Check Fraud
Bank Fraud
False Identification Fraud
Passport/Visa Fraud
Identity Theft

Computer Fraud - Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1030, authorizes the Secret Service to investigate computer crimes. Violations enforced under this statute include unauthorized access to protected computers, theft of data such as personal identification used to commit identity theft, denial of service attacks used for extortion or disruption of e-commerce and malware (malicious software) distribution to include viruses intended for financial gain.

Criminal Investigations

The "spy camera" project that exposes kids can cast you into very deep water.

Forensic Services

As part of the 1994 Crime Bill, Congress mandated the U.S. Secret Service to provide forensic/technical assistance in matters involving missing and exploited children. On April 30, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the PROTECT Act of 2003, known as the "Amber Alert Bill," which gave full authorization to the U.S. Secret Service in this area.

Forensic Services

Electronic Crime Task Forces

On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3162, the USA PATRIOT Act. The U.S. Secret Service was mandated by this Act to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs). The concept of the ECTF network is to bring together not only federal, state and local law enforcement, but also prosecutors, private industry and academia. The common purpose is the prevention, detection, mitigation and aggressive investigation of attacks on the nation's financial and critical infrastructures.

The Secret Service's ECTF and Electronic Crimes Working Group initiatives prioritize investigative cases that involve electronic crimes. These initiatives provide necessary support and resources to field investigations that meet any one of the following criteria:

Significant economic or community impact
Participation of organized criminal groups involving multiple districts or transnational organizations
Use of schemes involving new technology

Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups

Criminal Investigations

Identity Crimes - Identity crimes are defined as the misuse of personal or financial identifiers in order to gain something of value and/or facilitate other criminal activity. The Secret Service is the primary federal agency tasked with investigating identity theft/fraud and its related activities under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028. Identity crimes are some of the fastest growing and most serious economic crimes in the United States for both financial institutions and persons whose identifying information has been illegally used. The Secret Service records criminal complaints, assists victims in contacting other relevant investigative and consumer protection agencies and works with other federal, state and local law enforcement and reporting agencies to identify perpetrators.

Identity crimes investigated by the Secret Service include, but are not limited to, the following:

Credit Card/Access Device Fraud (Skimming)
Check Fraud
Bank Fraud
False Identification Fraud
Passport/Visa Fraud
Identity Theft

Computer Fraud - Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1030, authorizes the Secret Service to investigate computer crimes. Violations enforced under this statute include unauthorized access to protected computers, theft of data such as personal identification used to commit identity theft, denial of service attacks used for extortion or disruption of e-commerce and malware (malicious software) distribution to include viruses intended for financial gain.

Criminal Investigations

The "spy camera" project that exposes kids can cast you into very deep water.

Forensic Services

As part of the 1994 Crime Bill, Congress mandated the U.S. Secret Service to provide forensic/technical assistance in matters involving missing and exploited children. On April 30, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the PROTECT Act of 2003, known as the "Amber Alert Bill," which gave full authorization to the U.S. Secret Service in this area.

Forensic Services

Electronic Crime Task Forces

On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3162, the USA PATRIOT Act. The U.S. Secret Service was mandated by this Act to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs). The concept of the ECTF network is to bring together not only federal, state and local law enforcement, but also prosecutors, private industry and academia. The common purpose is the prevention, detection, mitigation and aggressive investigation of attacks on the nation's financial and critical infrastructures.

The Secret Service's ECTF and Electronic Crimes Working Group initiatives prioritize investigative cases that involve electronic crimes. These initiatives provide necessary support and resources to field investigations that meet any one of the following criteria:

Significant economic or community impact
Participation of organized criminal groups involving multiple districts or transnational organizations
Use of schemes involving new technology

Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups

Criminal Investigations

Identity Crimes - Identity crimes are defined as the misuse of personal or financial identifiers in order to gain something of value and/or facilitate other criminal activity. The Secret Service is the primary federal agency tasked with investigating identity theft/fraud and its related activities under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028. Identity crimes are some of the fastest growing and most serious economic crimes in the United States for both financial institutions and persons whose identifying information has been illegally used. The Secret Service records criminal complaints, assists victims in contacting other relevant investigative and consumer protection agencies and works with other federal, state and local law enforcement and reporting agencies to identify perpetrators.

Identity crimes investigated by the Secret Service include, but are not limited to, the following:

Credit Card/Access Device Fraud (Skimming)
Check Fraud
Bank Fraud
False Identification Fraud
Passport/Visa Fraud
Identity Theft

Computer Fraud - Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1030, authorizes the Secret Service to investigate computer crimes. Violations enforced under this statute include unauthorized access to protected computers, theft of data such as personal identification used to commit identity theft, denial of service attacks used for extortion or disruption of e-commerce and malware (malicious software) distribution to include viruses intended for financial gain.

Criminal Investigations

The "spy camera" project that exposes kids can cast you into very deep water.

Forensic Services

As part of the 1994 Crime Bill, Congress mandated the U.S. Secret Service to provide forensic/technical assistance in matters involving missing and exploited children. On April 30, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the PROTECT Act of 2003, known as the "Amber Alert Bill," which gave full authorization to the U.S. Secret Service in this area.

Forensic Services

Straight from the horse's mouth

You might want to think about it first. http://www.secretservice.gov/money_law.shtml

The Secret Service's roles have been greatly expanded throughout its long history. It seems to be a Federal law enforcement agency to which responsibilities are added on a whim regardless of whether they're already under another agency's purview. What did protection of the President have to do with investigating currency counterfeiting in the first place? It seem the Patriot act is responsible for their role in this case:

The Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) increased the Secret Service's role in investigating fraud and related activity in connections with computers.

I know the FBI investigates fraud, theft and extortion both involving computers and otherwise, so I can't imagine why the Secret Service needed to expand into this area.

http://www.secretservice.gov/investigations.shtml

Since 1984, the Secret Service's investigative responsibilities have expanded to include crimes that involve financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers and money laundering as it relates to the agency's core violations.

I take it the only reason the fucking Secret Service is going after him is because he isn't a corporation or the government.

Let me introduce the New York/New Jersey Electronic Crimes Task Force.

In 2006, the New York Electronic Crimes Task Force merged with the Newark Electronic Crimes Working Group to form the New York/New Jersey Electronic Crimes Task Force. This combined entity enhances cooperation between law enforcement and corporations in the greater New York and New Jersey areas to combat electronic crimes.

Investigations conducted by the U.S. Secret Service through the ECTFs include crimes such as:

Computer generated counterfeit currency
Bank fraud
Counterfeit checks
Credit card fraud
Virus and worm proliferation
Access device fraud
Telecommunications fraud
Internet threats
Computer system intrusions and cyber-attacks
Phishing/spoofing
Assistance with internet related child pornography and exploitation
CD/DVD piracy
Terrorism/terrorist financing nexus
Identity theft

We know a) He had permission.

Like hell he did.

The drives were imaged each night. He had to return to the stores each day to reinstall the software.

The only "permission" he clains to have had was from a security guard - there is nothing in writing from the management of the store.

Nothing in writing from those who were photographed.

The interior of a retail store is not part of the commons, not a public place under New York law.

Chances are the project simply spooked someone with the authority to open an investigation, sothey opened one.

On the other hand, consider: along with its investigative duties, the Secret Service may be tasked with protecting certain individuals when they visit New York. As far as I know, Prince Sultan is hospitalized, but it's not as if he travels alone; perhaps some spoiled Saudi kid wanted an iPad. Moreover, for obvious reasons, New York is not an entirely unpopular destinationfor important foreign officials.

With that said, given Apple's international cachet, it's certainly not inconceivable the project caught the "watchful eye" of the Secret Service for reasons unrelated to computer fraud or financial crimes —"location and disposition of CCTV cameras" may simply be a "checklist item" for a Secret Service protective detail conducting a site survey, thus it's conceivable that the Secret Service was drawn into this "by accident," more or less, and felt they had a responsibility to investigate. The "computer fraud" angle might just be a convenient cover story; they needed a warrant for "off the record" reasons, and, given that one can at least argue that store computers were used in an "unauthorized" fashion, this happened to be "good enough for the judge," and, more importantly, "for the record."

Conceivable "bad timing" aside, I do suspect "arguable creepiness" probably plays as large a part in this case asany "honest" legal and ethical issues.

I had a lawyer tell me the reason it was the secret service was because the calling cards put it in their jurisdiction. I can't remember the exact reason, but something along the lines of calling cards are a promise of pay, or some other legal mumbo jumbo.

Look before you phreak.

Today the agency's primary investigative mission is to safeguard the payment and financial systems of the United States.

Since 1984, the Secret Service's investigative responsibilities have expanded to include crimes that involve financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers and money laundering as it relates to the agency's core violations.

US Secret Service

The USA Patriot Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001, mandated the U.S. Secret Service to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs) to investigate and prevent attacks on financial and critical infrastructures in the United States. As such, this mandate expanded on the agency's first ECTF -- the New York Electronic Crimes Task Force, formed in 1995 -- which brought together federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors, private-industry companies, and academia.

The network prioritizes investigations that meet the following criteria:

Significant economic or community impact,
Participation of multiple-district or transnational organized criminal groups,
Use of new technology as a means to commit crime.

United Sttates Secret Service

Unfortunately, it's not so easy to do this. When embedding a watermark, there are three fundamental approaches: ...

So it's not an easy problem, and as compression improves, option #2 there will get even harder over time.

That's a good summary. However, I believe digital watermarking has the same fundamental flaw as DRM: the means, expertise, and equipment to create and modify digital files are plentiful in this day and age.

Any idiot can copy a music file to a friend's computer. So DRM attempts to limit that easy copying, but as soon as it's broken, it's broken. Likewise, the bar is not much higher for being able to modify, edit, or sample a music file: audio editing software, MP3 encoders, tagging software, hex editors... all easily-available, easy-to-learn (with guides all over the web), and easy-to-use. So watermarks attempt to add a unique, recognizable, but unintrusive tag to that file, and they run back into the same issue that the underlying data is very easy to manipulate.

Contrast this situation with that of paper money, which often contains watermarks: The bar to "editing" or "copying" money is a lot higher. Sure, you can make a crappy copy of a $20 bill on a printer, but it won't turn out well. The recipes for real currency paper are secret and centralized, so difficult to steal. The physical equipment to print real money is extraordinarily large, immobile, and expensive, and easier to regulate since there are few legitimate, small-scale uses for things like color-changing ink and microprinting. Lastly, there are more, and smarter, serious guys with guns who take a professional interest in counterfeiting than in file-sharing.

In my view, any purely technical means to limit the distribution or modification of digital data is bound to fail. I mean, we've spent decades trying to make digital data easy to copy and modify... and gosh, we've succeeded.

DRM and watermarks both rely on, essentially, an intentional obfuscation of data. But the means to detect (watermarks) or reverse (DRM) that obfuscation must then be widely distributed for them to be useful. Security through obscurity, minus most of the obscurity. Secure cryptosystems like PGP or SSL depend on a very small core of obscurity (a secret key) and construct elaborate safeguards and mechanisms to keep that secret key from ever traversing the network, and from "leaking" its content onto the data in a visible way. And still flaws are sometimes found. DRM takes that secret key and spreads it around all over the place. Lame.

I agree with the general sentiment; but I think the story a few days back about the FBI picking up that quant accused of stealing code(or heck, our exciting bailouts and pretty much anything the federal reserve does) was a better example.

From the Secret Service website:

"1984 Congress enacted legislation making the fraudulent use of credit and debit cards a federal violation. The law also authorized the Secret Service to investigate violations relating to credit and debit card fraud, federal-interest computer fraud, and fraudulent identification documents."

"2001 The Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) increased the Secret Service's role in investigating fraud and related activity in connections with computers. In addition it authorized the Director of the Secret Service to establish nationwide electronic crimes taskforces to assist the law enforcement, private sector and academia in detecting and suppressing computer-based crime; increased the statutory penalties for the manufacturing, possession, dealing and passing of counterfeit U.S. or foreign obligations; and allowed enforcement action to be taken to protect our financial payment systems while combating transnational financial crimes directed by terrorists or other criminals. "

Having the secret service investigate a cracking attempt at a bank is about as natural as having the local cops investigate a burglary. These guys are, in essence, the counterfeit currency and bank haxx0ring police, the protecting the president gig is just a flashy sideline. The fact that we have a dedicated counterfeit currency and bank haxx0ring police force does indeed say something about our priorities; but the fact that a police force does exactly what it was set up to do isn't much of a demonstration in itself.

you might not be able to get at Obama directly, but how about a family member without a protective detail?

Yeah, good luck with that.

http://www.secretservice.gov/protection.shtml:

Today, the Secret Service is authorized by law to protect:

• The president, the vice president, (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the president-elect and vice president-elect
• The immediate families of the above individuals
• Former presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except when the spouse remarries. In 1997, Congressional legislation became effective limiting Secret Service protection to former presidents for a period of not more than 10 years from the date the former president leaves office
• Children of former presidents until age 16
• Visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad
• Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election
• Other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President
• National Special Security Events, when designated as such by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

Can you still say stuff like this in the US? I read that at this point, you can get visited by the SS for joking online.

Wow !

The http://www.secretservice.gov/ is really quick to protect the President.

The Secret Service is a very effective police agency, and they'll probably do a good job of it. On the other hand, the DHS runs the TSA and the immigration service and has an appalling civil rights record. I can only hope that the Secret Service prevails in the operations of the Institute.

Links
    Secret Service press release (PDF)
    DHS copy of press release (HTML)

Praising people who regularly jail dissidents for loving freedom just makes my stomach turn.

Yeah, mine too.

The fine seems reasonable, will they accept cash?

It more likely would have ended in expulsion. But that is an argument for another time.

"In 2002, the U.S. Secret Service completed the Safe School Initiative... The study examined school shootings in the United States as far back as 1974...analyzing a total of 37 incidents involving 41 student attackers...school shootings are rarely impulsive acts. Rather, they are typically thought out and planned out in advance...prior to most shootings other kids knew the shooting was to occur - but did not alert an adult. Very few of the attackers, however, ever directed threats to their targets before the attack...there is no "profile" of a school shooter; instead, the students who carried out the attacks differed from one another in numerous ways. However, almost every attacker had engaged in behavior before the shooting that seriously concerned at least one adult - and for many had concerned three or more different adults. National Threat Assessment Center"

The kid's classmate was afraid, the kid's teacher was afraid, and reasonably so, I would think. That is all the law requires before you can take again.

Basically, are the administrators punishing only what they can see, what they know about?

Well, yeah. That's all anyone can do, really.

SWAT: You are surrounded. Do not attempt to make fun of the president or you will be shot!
Middle Eastern Guy: WTF?
*BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM*

I'll break it to you gently... people make fun of President Bush every day, it's not a crime in the United States. It won't get you arrested or shot unless you pair it with some other blindingly stupid activity (run at the police waving a handgun while telling anti-Bush knock knock jokes) or make a statement that could be considered an actual threat against the President. In that case, you might have a visit and a chat with someone, but you won't be executed. Now, if you don't believe that telling jokes about the President is fine, just take a look at the TV. President Bush is constantly used as the butt of jokes, but Leno/Letterman/Stewart/etc. aren't broadcasting from undisclosed or hidden locations, are they? Making a joke about the President doesn't make you a hero, victim, or target. (BTW - You do realize the Muslims can be any race, from any place on the globe, right?) Voting for President Bush's political opponents, lobbying against his policies, peaceful/lawful demonstrations are all fine.

What will get you into trouble is plotting to irradiate, poison, shoot, stab, run over, or blow up American citizens. In that case, telling jokes is irrelevant, the problem is the plot or attempt to irradiate, poison, shoot, stab, run over, or blow up American citizens.

In short, humor=OK, bombing=no way!

Most Americans get this.

I think this simply proves my point. Almost everybody who is posting all these crazy diatribes against the Patriot Act has NO FACTS and no clue what he/she is talking about.

We have a new police force, this for the homeland security department. They have the power to arrest and detain anyone seen as a threat to the United States of America. That's an awfull lot of power, don't you think?
There isn't a new police force.
You're wrong. And where in the bill does it say, "They have the power to arrest and detain anyone seen as a threat to the United States of America" ?????? Again, this is simply not true.

I don't mind people who disagree with me, but I can't stand people who are dishonest and don't have their facts right. Furthermore, slashdot moderators should do a better job and maybe take 10 seconds to check the accuracy of a post before they mod something to informative.

Ah excuse me, the Secret Service Uniform divison has been around in law since 1977. From their own web site: http://www.secretservice.gov/ud.shtml The Patriot Act does not create it. It just keeps moving changing departments from time to time.

Aha! -- indeed they are responsible for investigating computer and telecommunication fraud. You got the love the number of law-enforcement agencies the USA has created.

"When an event is designated a National Special Security Event, the Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan."

details here

Their mission includes:

The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The Secret Service also serves as the branch of law enforcement that investigates financial fraud and counterfeiting. From The Secret Service web page:

"The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure."

I know I'm jumping in late, but if just a few people see this and respond, it'll do some good.

Go to the following sites and complain:

Department of Homeland Security - Select "Security Threats" - This is a threat to national security.

US Secret Service Electronics Crimes Branch - They do computer fraud cases.

FBI

I know I'm jumping in WAY late in this conversation, but if just a few people see this and respond, it'll do some good.

Go to the following sites and complain:

Department of Homeland Security - Select "Security Threats"

US Secret Service - They do computer fraud cases.

FBI

Nigeria-originated spam is just a contemporary version of the decades old 419 scams that apparently netted US$ 5 billion way back in 1996 itself.

Around 1990 or 1991, the show 60 Minutes aired a program in which they visited some of these scammers in Nigeria and caught whole conversations with them on a video camera in the reporter's eyeglasses. The story detailed how for years in the 80s a lot of American businessmen were being duped by letters asking for a $10,000 advance in order to obtain large contracts. Since then, it has only gotten easier for any would-be 419 scammers, and still there is little effort being done to address the root of the problem. Moreover, Microsoft's best efforts will probably end up being like band-aids that annoyingly don't stick very well. It would be far better to try to educate Americans and Europeans about the risk of going along with such enticements, and it would be even better to try to address the reasons why this problem is so prolific in Nigeria. It has affected so many people in the US that the Secret Service has long had a website dedicated to it: http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml/

You should report all of this stuff to the US Secret Service Financial Crimes Division. They handle international fraud schemes like this.

Here's their 419 site and a list of crimes they cover

You should report all of this stuff to the US Secret Service Financial Crimes Division. They handle international fraud schemes like this.

Here's their 419 site and a list of crimes they cover

Um, no. While the Secret Service's original focus was on counterfeiting (as well as dignitary protection), its mission was expanded in the 80s and early 90s to include investigating fraud against/attacks on the US financial system as a whole, not just the creation of false currency. http://www.secretservice.gov/financial_crimes.shtm l

Actually, speaking as a sporadic 419 baiter myself, once you find one fraudulent bank site being used by scammers, (by pretending to fall for their line until they give you the "bank" address) you will usually find a bunch of other ones hosted on the same server.

Luckily, domain registrars are a bit more cooperative than the server host in China or wherever. One particulalrly helpful registrar redirected the "bank"'s address to here.

You mean, "We'll give you this worthless piece of junk if you'll give us several million in upkeep costs"? Rather like a 419 scam.

We'd all take the Secret Service a lot more seriously if they updated their name. Back in 1865 it may have been way cool to call your treasury cops a "secret service", but now it alternates between quaintness and confusion Since they're now part of DHS, how about "Homeland Enforcement"? Make a great TV show!

From the Mission statement linked to from The United States Secret Service, a branch of the United States Treasury Department.

MISSION STATEMENT The United States Secret Service is mandated by statute and executive order to carry out two significant missions: protection and criminal investigations. The Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President's Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events. The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Please, in the future, be more accurate when referring to people whose arguably most important job is to take a bullet for the president (Officer Leslie Coffelt and Special Agent Tim McCarthy, see question six).

The phony claims from the Secret Service about alleged voter intimidation by some poster on Indy revealing the names and hotels of RNC delegates pales in comparison to the very real intimadation carried out by Repugnican operatives. Here are but a few documented incidents:

Philadelphia, PA, 2003: Voters in African-American neighborhoods were systematically challenged by men carrying clipboards, driving a fleet of some 300 sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law enforcement insignia. [NAACP/PFAW 2004].

Michigan, 2004: One of Bush's Michigan advisors, State Rep. John Pappageorge (R-Troy) was quoted as saying "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election." [Detroit Free Press, 7/16/04]

Louisiana, 2003: Flyers were posted in public housing projects which read "Vote!!! Bad Weather? No problem!!! If the weather is uncomfortable on Election Day (Saturday December 7th) Remember you can wait and cast your ballot on Tuesday December 10th." [Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 12/12/02]

Sooooo, is the SS looking into this? We don't think so! But even if they are, why are they wasting additional taxpayer dollars chasing shadows on Indymedia? Hey! Why not ask them!

http://www.secretservice.gov/contact.shtml

from: http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/117545/i ndex.php

No one else seems to have pointed out the obvious problem here. He was briefed on this by the Secret Service. I always thought that the Secret Service has jurisdiction over Presidential protection and counterfeiting (and other currency-related crimes) ONLY. So what is the Secret Service doing given local cops advice about WiFi theft?

Apparently I was wrong. Looking at the Secret Service website, apparently a newer expansion of their mission covers "computer and electronic communications fraud." This would seem to make sense to me only insofar as it is an extension of their powers to investigate crimes relating to the banking and currency systems. It looks as though the Secret Service has extended their authority through aggressive interpretation of their mandate. Doesn't that bother anyone else?

ZorinLynx wonders:
What I never understood about this is why the SECRET SERVICE, of all agencies got involved.

Guarding public officials is almost a side job for the Secret Service. Their original (and until last year, primary) mission is investigating and enforcing financial crimes (eg. counterfeitting). They also are responsible for identity theft and attacks on computing infrastructure.

Sorry,

I clicked the "Submit" button too soon. Here is the part I didn't finish:
See this for bad news and this for a laugh.

Unless, of course, I've lost all my marbles...

Or it could be that it's the international term for this kind of fraud.