February 28, 2007

ICE agents return more than $11,000 to victims of telemarketing fraud
Fraudulent international telemarketers target the elderly

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-A 99-year-old man from Oak Ridge and an 84-year-old woman from Maryville received $10,000 and $1,600 respectively from local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents today. The money was returned as the result of a successfully completed joint investigation against fraudulent telemarketers.

The schemes were uncovered through an international law enforcement program entitled Project Colt. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and U.S. federal law enforcement agencies involved in this initiative have targeted Canadian based fraudulent telemarketing schemes.

Project Colt is a joint investigative operation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Surete du Quebec, Montreal Urban Community Police, agents from ICE, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. This initiative is designed to identify, disrupt and dismantle fraudulent telemarketing operations. These operations generally target elderly U.S. citizens.

"This case is a good example of the outstanding cooperation between ICE, RCMP, U.S. Postal Investigators and the FBI. Because of this cooperation, fraudulent telemarketers and other criminals are discovering how difficult it is for them to hide their illegal activities from authorities," said Michael A. Holt, special agent -in charge, Office of Investigations for ICE in New Orleans. "We are dedicated to identifying and dismantling these types of criminal operations wherever and whenever we find them."

ICE agents work diligently to promote public safety and national security by protecting the revenue of the United States, tracing various money trails leading into and out of the U.S., interdicting illicit drugs, preventing the export of U.S. military munitions/equipment and high technology items to embargoed countries, deterring illegal immigration, preventing immigration-related crimes and removing criminals who are unlawfully present in the United States.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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