FBI daily news briefing on cyber cases and international matters, July 2025

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CYBER DIVISION¶

DOJ Seeks to Recover Crypto Seized by FBI From Alleged Scheme Impersonating Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee¶

The Block (07/03, Hunt) reported that the DOJ is seeking to recover 40,353 USDT in cryptocurrency seized by the FBI from an alleged scheme impersonating the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The scammers allegedly defrauded a donor of $250,300 in cryptocurrency by posing as the committee and laundering the funds through multiple wallets. The DOJ, with the assistance of Tether, traced and seized $40,353 of the funds and is now seeking to return them to the victim through civil forfeiture. “Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, which is investigating the case. “To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive. Scammers often use subtle differences to deceive you and gain your trust. Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally or have only interacted with online or over the phone.”¶

Continued Reporting: FBI Warns Travelers of ‘Scattered Spider’ Group Targeting Airlines¶

SFGATE (07/05, Glab) reported that the FBI has issued a warning about a sophisticated hacker group called “Scattered Spider” that is targeting the airline industry, using social engineering techniques to gain access to internal systems and steal sensitive data. According to the article, several airlines, including WestJet, Hawaiian Airlines, and Qantas, have recently reported cybersecurity incidents, with Qantas confirming that a cyber criminal accessed a third-party customer servicing platform containing records of six million customers. The article noted that the FBI warning advises that anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk of being targeted by the Scattered Spider group. Hawaii Tribune (07/04, Boylan) and Daily Mail (07/05, Garino) also reported on the story.¶

Connecticut 19-Year-Old Posed as Yahoo! And Google Worker in $245M Crypto Heist¶

newstimes (07/06, Baker) reported that Veer Chetal, a 19-year-old from Danbury, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments for his role in a $245 million cryptocurrency heist. Chetal, along with co-defendants Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano, used social engineering techniques to trick victims into providing private information, posing as representatives from companies like Yahoo! and Google. The article highlighted that federal authorities say Chetal has been “a cooperating witness” since being “approached” by FBI agents in September in connection with an investigation into the heist on Aug. 18, 2024, as well as an Aug. 25 carjacking and attempted kidnapping of his parents.¶

Continued Reporting: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking a South Carolina FBI Agent¶

Continued Reporting: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking a South Carolina FBI Agent WBTV (CBS-3) (07/03, Chrisman) reported that Scott Tardy, a 31-year-old Massachusetts man, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking a South Carolina FBI agent and their family. According to the article, Tardy used messaging apps Kik and Telegram to solicit violence against the agent and their spouse and shared personal information such as their home address. The article highlighted that the FBI conducted a search warrant on Tardy’s apartment in February, where he denied ever using Kik or Telegram and also denied responsibility for the violent messages. He faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervision for charges including cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice.¶

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS¶

FBI’s Operation Artemis Brings Sextortion Charges Against 22 Nigerians¶

Forbes (07/05, Weisman) reported that the FBI recently announced Operation Artemis, a joint effort with law enforcement partners in Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom targeting sextortion criminals in Nigeria which resulted in the arrest of 22 Nigerians alleged to be connected to sophisticated, organized sextortion rings. According to the FBI, half of those arrested were directly linked to sextortion victims who committed suicide. The article explained that between October 2024 and March 2025, the FBI reported a 30% increase in reported sextortion crimes and the number of actual occurrences is most likely significantly higher. The number of reported victims increased from 34,000 in 2023 to 54,000 in 2024. The article noted that the FBI estimates that in the past two years, criminals have taken in payments of more than $65 million from sextortion victims. Even more¶

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disturbingly, the FBI attributes at least 20 suicides of young boys to sextortion. The article added that making the sextortion problem even worse is an upsurge in sextortion assistance companies which charge thousands of dollars for their help in stopping and removing the photos and videos from appearing online. According to the FBI, these companies provide no better assistance than you can get for free and, in some instances, actually are the same criminals perpetrating the sextortion scams themselves.¶

Canadian Police Re-Arrest Man Wanted by FBI for ‘Decades-Old’ Sexual Assault of Minor¶

CBC (07/04, Loop) reported that Windsor police have arrested a 74-year-old suspect in a “historic child sexual assault” case for a second time after he allegedly violated bail conditions while awaiting extradition to the U.S. According to the article, the man is wanted by the FBI “in connection with a decades-old sexual assault of a minor,” the Windsor Police Service said in a press release Thursday. Officers with Toronto police’s fugitive squad originally arrested the suspect in Windsor on Sept. 11. Last month, Windsor police “launched an investigation and confirmed the suspect had violated his conditions on multiple occasions,” the press release said.¶

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OTHER FBI NEWS¶

Jan. 6 Federal Prosecutor Fired by AG Bondi Quotes Theodore Roosevelt in Passionate Farewell Letter¶

NBC News (07/04, Reilly) reported that Andrew Floyd, a federal prosecutor, was fired by Attorney General Bondi and wrote a passionate farewell letter to his colleagues, praising their dedication to seeking justice. In the letter, Floyd quoted Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech, encouraging his colleagues to continue entering the arena and pursuing justice despite threats and challenges. The article assessed that Floyd’s departure is part of a growing “brain drain” at the Justice Department and the FBI, with seasoned officials leaving due to mounting political pressure and fear of retaliation, amid concerns over the targeting of those involved in prosecuting allies of former President Trump. The article explained that another federal law enforcement official also wrote this week that he was targeted by bureau leadership because of his friendship with a former FBI employee. Michael Feinberg, who had been assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Division national security and intelligence programs, wrote that he was given the option of being demoted or resigning. In a resignation letter, he said that the FBI had “begun to decay” and that he had to comport himself in a manner that would make his soon-to-be-born son proud. “I love my country and our Constitution with a fervor that mere language will not allow me to articulate, and it pains me that my profession will no longer entail being their servant,” Feinberg wrote. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.”¶

Violent Crime Was Down Nationally in 2024, According to Half-Year FBI Snapshot¶

Boston Herald (07/06, McColgan) reported that the FBI reported a 10% decrease in violent crime nationwide in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to their quarterly crime report issued in September of the previous year. According to the article, the decrease in violent crime was observed across various categories, including murder, which decreased by 22.7%, rape, which decreased by 17.7%, robbery, which decreased by 13.6%, and aggravated assault, which decreased by 8.1%, as stated in the quarterly data update. In addition to the decline in violent crime, property crime also decreased by 13.1% in the first half of 2024, indicating a continued downward trend from the previous year. The article added that the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program collected data from over 16,000 state, county, city, higher education, and tribal agencies, covering 94.3% of the country, which reported a 10.3% decrease in violent crime from January to June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The downward trend in crime rates is not limited to the first half of 2024, as the FBI’s data for the entirety of 2023 showed a 3% decrease in violent crime incidents compared to 2022, including an 11.6% decrease in murder and non-negligent manslaughter, a 9.4% decrease in rape, a 2.8% decrease in aggravated assault, and a 0.3% decrease in robberies. The New York Times (07/06, Lopez) reported that nearly half of murder cases in the U.S. go unsolved, with a clearance rate of 58% in 2023, the latest year for which FBI data is available. And that figure is inflated because it includes murders from previous years that police solved in 2023. According to the article, experts attribute this to a lack of resources, the volume of cases, distrust of police, and the prevalence of guns, making it easier for criminals to get away with murder. The article assessed that potential solutions include increasing resources for solving murders, utilizing modern technology such as cameras and facial recognition software, and addressing the root causes of crime, as suggested by researchers like Jennifer Doleac and policymakers in cities like Louisville.¶

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South Dakota Attorney General Meets With Director Patel¶

Dakota News Now (07/03, Staff Writer) reported that South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley met with Director Patel last week to talk about the partnerships between state and federal law enforcement. “My meeting with Director Patel focused on strengthening South Dakota’s federal and state partnerships throughout the state, including Indian Country,” said Attorney General Jackley. Jackley noted that the Attorney General’s Office’s Division of Criminal Investigation has maintained a positive relationship with the FBI over the years.¶

Newly Revealed DB Cooper Files Shed New Light on FBI’s Hunt for Hijacker¶

The New York Post (07/04, Troutman) reported that Newly released FBI files provide new insights into the Bureau’s probe into the mysterious case of airline hijacker Cooper, including that one potential suspect was a man in a wheelchair. The 398-page trove unveiled details the FBI’s dogged efforts to investigate tips from people claiming to know the still-elusive man who leaped out of a Boeing plane with $200,000 in cash after taking passengers and crew hostage in 1971. The Economic Times (07/05, Staff Writer), and People (07/04, Coulter) also reported on the story.¶

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS¶

Trump and Netanyahu to Meet as New Middle East Tests Loom¶

Wall Street Journal¶

Turkish Police Detain Three More Mayors From Party Opposed to Erdogan Wall Street Journal¶

Hamas Accepts Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal With American Assurances Over Talks to End War Wall Street Journal¶

Congo Braces for HIV Surge After U.S. Funding Stops¶

Wall Street Journal¶

U.N. Pulls Nuclear Inspectors Out of Iran for Safety Reasons¶

Wall Street Journal¶

Australia Wants to Bar Children From Social Media. Can It Succeed?¶

New York Times¶

Erin Patterson Convicted of Mushroom Murders¶

Reuters¶

Police Block Roads to Kenyan Capital on Anniversary of Pro-Democracy Protests¶

Reuters¶

Twelve Turkish Soldiers Killed by Gas Exposure During Cave Search in Iraq¶

Reuters¶

Australian Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Indigenous Teenager Was Racist, Coroner Finds Reuters¶

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OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS¶

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump¶

Reuters, CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, BBC¶

How Healthcare Cuts in the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Affect Americans¶

Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Associated Press, CNN, The Hill¶

Judge Rejects Last-Minute Request, Paving Way for Removal of 8 Migrants Detained in Djibouti¶

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ABC News, Washington Post¶

Here’s Where Trump’s Approval Ratings Stand on Key Issues¶

The Hill¶

Law Used to Kick Out Nazis Could Be Used to Strip Citizenship From Many More Americans¶

CNN¶

U. S. Expands Militarized Zones to 1/3 of Southern Border, Stirring Controversy Associated Press¶

Ecuadorian Drug Lord “Fito” Captured After Frantic Search and Hidden Bunker Discovery Washington Post¶

Hundreds of Accused Criminals Arrested in Sweeping Federal Operation¶

New York Post¶

Virginia Has Become a Hotbed for Immigration Arrests¶

New York Times¶

Republicans Just Cut Medicaid. Will It Cost Them Control of Congress?¶

Politico¶

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WASHINGTON SCHEDULE¶

White House¶

President Trump¶

• 9:00 AM: In-Town Pool Call Time

• 4:00 PM: The President signs Executive Orders

• 6:30 PM: The President greets the Prime Minister of the State of Israel

• 6:35 PM: The President participates in a dinner with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel

Vice President Vance¶

• No official presidential schedule released or announced.

US Senate¶

• Closed business meeting to markup those provisions which fall under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction of the proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026. – 5:30 PM – Host: Armed Services

US House of Representatives¶

• Business Meeting: H.R. 261 Undersea Cable Protection Act; H.R. 3015 National Coal Council Reestablishment Act; H.R. 3062 Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act; H.R. 3898 Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act. – 4:00 PM – Host: Committee on Rules

• Markup: Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill – 6:00 PM – Host: Committee on Appropriations Cabinet Members · Secretary of State Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.

Visitors¶

• No events scheduled.

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General Events¶

• The Heritage Foundation: The Power Behind Israel’s Economic Strength in War – Monday, July 7, 2025. Location: Online event, 10:00 AM. Join Heritage as the Embassy of Israel’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Noach Hacker, offers a deep look at the strength and strategy behind Israel’s economy. This conversation will outline how, over decades, Israel quietly prepared not only for military threats, but also for the economic impact of extreme conflict. Just as the country demonstrated extraordinary military capability in recent days, its economy has shown remarkable stability and strength during 360+ intense days of fighting which came to a climax in 12 days of Operation Rising Lion.

• CSIS: Statistical Review of World Energy 2025 – Monday, July 7, 2025. Location: Online event, 1:00 PM. The CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program is pleased to host Dr. Nick Wayth, Chief Executive of the Energy Institute (EI), for a presentation and discussion of the 2025 EI Statistical Review of World Energy.

• CSIS: Rule of Law in China, 10 Years after the 709 Crackdown – Monday, July 7, 2025. Location: Online event, 2:00 PM. Starting on July 9, 2015, Chinese authorities detained hundreds of human rights lawyers and advocates, many of whom received long prison sentences, in what became known as the 709 Crackdown. This marked an important turning point for the rule of law in China, as well as the country’s evolving political system and its development path. Ten years later, the events of 709 continue to shape Chinese society, politics, and legal institutions.

• Hudson Institute: Postponed | Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson – Monday, July 7, 2025. Location: Online event, 1:30 PM. Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

Email Public Affairs to subscribe to the Daily News Briefing. Mobile version and archive available here.¶

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