Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cybercrime Costs $4.2B Damage in 2020
The damage caused by cybercrime reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) rose to $4.2 billion in 2020, the latest figure available. read more >
Ransomware, Risks, Cybercrimes and Shame
Ransomware attacks on businesses in Arkansas are on the rise, the FBI and IT professionals say, though embarrassment at security breaches means concrete numbers are hard to obtain. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Cyberattacks Common; Insurance Isn’t
As cyberattacks like these become more common and more organizations look to transfer the associated risk to insurers, the availability of such policies has not kept up with demand. read more >
Sturch, Pillow Named New Jonesboro Directors (Movers & Shakers)
Ronnie Sturch and Alan Pillow have been selected as new directors by the city of Jonesboro. read more >
AEDC Places Fowler as Science Foundation Director (Movers & Shakers)
Jennifer Fowler has been named director of the Arkansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. read more >
Fed Plans Seizure of Lab Owner’s Properties
The federal government wants to seize several pieces of property owned by Billy Joe Taylor, which they say were bought with the proceeds of Taylor’s alleged crimes. read more >
Creepy Old Dudes (Gwen Moritz Editor’s Note)
It is rare for a young woman and a much older man to be of similar rank in a professional setting, and that imbalance of power is central to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s problems. read more >
by Gwen Moritz -
UA’s Quiet Land Deal Gets Look From FBI
The FBI has been asking questions about the planned sale of 6,300 acres by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, a deal that has drawn allegations that bid manipulation produced a lower sale price and a higher broker commission. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Arkansas Lost at Least $22.6M in 2019 Internet Crimes
Arkansas ranked 34th in the nation in the number of victims of internet crimes reported last year with 1,991, according to the “2019 Internet Crime Report,” released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in February. read more >
State Confirms Insurance Claim in Web ‘Breach’
Arkansas officials confirmed last week that the state filed an insurance claim in a May 15 website security lapse that exposed sensitive data on 30,000 Arkansans seeking pandemic unemployment benefits. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Hutchinson, a Flawed Site and Defining Exploitation
Gov. Hutchinson puzzled techies and Luddites alike by making a federal case out of what seemed to be a good Samaritan’s report that the Arkansas Pandemic Unemployment Assistance website was inadvertently revealing applicants’ Social Security and banking numbers. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Disturbing Past Rises to Haunt Dr. Lonnie Parker
An Arkansas physician who rehabilitated his image, regaining his medical license after going to federal prison on a child pornography charge, is now charged with a felonious relapse — this time accused of overprescribing opioids and other controlled substances. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
China’s Theft of American Innovation (FBI Commentary)
Whether it is through high-tech means or simply grabbing a handful of proprietary grains, the People’s Republic of China has consistently proven that what they lack in creativity and innovation, they make up for in outright theft. read more >
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Happy Egg Lays Claim to Recovered Hacker Money
Happy Egg, the victim of an email spoofing scam, has filed claims with the federal government to recover any money seized from a bank account set up by the hacker. read more >
Spoofing Scams on the Rise, Costing Arkansas Companies Millions
Business email compromise (BEC), a type of fraud that uses fake employee emails, on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
John Rogers’ Counterfeit Bats Redeemed in Youth Baseball League
Among the evidence that came into FBI possession during the John Rogers investigation were two batches of baseball bats bearing forged autographs. read more >
Youth Services Bankruptcy Unveils Theft Case, FBI Probe
The FBI and Arkansas’ attorney general are investigating the defunct South Arkansas Youth Services Inc. of Magnolia, according to the nonprofit’s recent bankruptcy filing. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Adviser’s Cash Withdrawals Lead Feds to Sportsbook in Rogers
A federal investigation into suspicious cash withdrawals from a financial adviser’s personal bank accounts led agents to uncover a large-scale illegal gambling operation in Benton County. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Lawsuit a Low Note for Arvest Notary
An Oklahoma man who said his name was forged on a loan document is going after the notary who allegedly signed off on the paperwork. read more >
FBI Peers Into Soul of the South Finances
Inquiries about how the Arkansas Development Finance Authority and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission came to invest more than $1.7 million in Soul of the South's short-lived financial fiasco are being made. read more >