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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:14 PM Jan 2012

DHS to Give Talk on “Deceptive Dating Tactics” at Online Dating Conference

DHS to Give Talk on “Deceptive Dating Tactics” at Online Dating Conference

DHS to attend online dating conference in Miami Beach (Government Security News):

The Department of Homeland Security is set to participate in a discussion panel at an online dating industry conference in Miami in the coming days.Tom Millar, chief of communications for the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is slated to discuss deceptive dating tactics in a January 24 panel at the iDate SuperConference event, said a statement from Ticondergoa Ventures, Inc., the sponsor of the conference. The event takes place on January 23-30, 2012 in Miami Beach.

Millar’s session is designed, said Ticonderoga Ventures, to help dating operators prevent fraud within their respective sites.

The appearance isn’t as unusual as it may seem. DHS and the CERT have been aggressively promoting online safety and security in the last few months through the agency’s “Stop. Think. Connect” campaign. On Jan. 10, DHS’ Web blog posted a series of tips on how the public and DHS employees can remain secure online. According to Ticonderoga, Millar’s Miami appearance is part of DHS outreach program called “Cyber Week” in the city.

US Department of Homeland Security to speak at the iDate Dating Industry Super Conference on January 23-30, 2012 in Miami (Press Release):

Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. announces that the US Deparment of Homeland Security (DHS)will present at the Internet Dating Industry Super Conference . The event takes place on January 23-30, 2012 in Miami Beach. Tom Millar ofthe United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) within the Department of Homeland Security will be on a January 24 panel that discusses deceptive dating tactics. The session is designed to assist dating operators in preventing fraud within their respective sites. Mr. Millar joined US-CERT in 2007 and played a significant role in US-CERT’s response activities during major cyber events such as the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Estonia in 2007, the outbreak of the Conficker worm and the DDoS attacks on major US government and commercial websites in 2009. He currently serves as US-CERT’s Chief of Communications, a role which finds him at the intersection of outreach, awareness, standards development and technical interoperability initiaAtives. His focus is on modernizing US-CERT’s approaches to information sharing, knowledge exchange and coordination.




http://publicintelligence.net/homeland-security-to-give-talk-on-deceptive-dating-tactics-at-online-dating-conference/
25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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DHS to Give Talk on “Deceptive Dating Tactics” at Online Dating Conference (Original Post) The Straight Story Jan 2012 OP
so dhs is giving dating advice now? this is what we pay for?? niyad Jan 2012 #1
Depends on your definition of "we" jberryhill Jan 2012 #3
Precisely. Is this somehow more okay than other kinds of fraud? TheWraith Jan 2012 #16
Oh, we know how it gets to this point jberryhill Jan 2012 #19
How does that threaten our national security? ArcticFox Jan 2012 #24
It threatens individual people, like any other kind of fraud. TheWraith Jan 2012 #25
So I assume this means DHS is now snooping on us on DATING websites? kestrel91316 Jan 2012 #2
By giving a talk on fraud at a conference? jberryhill Jan 2012 #7
Redhotpie???? Seriously?? DocMac Jan 2012 #4
I just had to go there after that: The Straight Story Jan 2012 #6
I wouldn't have noticed if it was lukewarmpie. DocMac Jan 2012 #8
You can keep your heavy petting sessions Terror-Free kenny blankenship Jan 2012 #5
Oh. Credit card fraud and identity theft ThoughtCriminal Jan 2012 #9
Let me get this right... this is not about just dating scams, but scams in general, right? Zalatix Jan 2012 #10
Same here customerserviceguy Jan 2012 #12
My question, though, is... isn't fraud the jurisdiction of the Secret Service? Zalatix Jan 2012 #14
I think that just applies customerserviceguy Jan 2012 #15
Correct, Secret Service is ONLY counterfeiting. nt TheWraith Jan 2012 #18
+1 jberryhill Jan 2012 #20
Spam Gangs and 419 Gangs jberryhill Jan 2012 #13
Nothing to do with terrorism, just fraud in general. TheWraith Jan 2012 #17
The DHS decided to become social engineers because Rex Jan 2012 #11
Topics will include: "Coping With Love- While Groping With Gloves" Warren DeMontague Jan 2012 #21
Or: If a Nigerian prince says he wants to send you $1 Million.... The Straight Story Jan 2012 #22
If you ever need to kill some time, go to "scamorama.com" Warren DeMontague Jan 2012 #23
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
3. Depends on your definition of "we"
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:30 PM
Jan 2012

If you are talking about the victims of "advance fee fraud" a/k/a "the Nigerian scam" and it's variations, some of them end up paying every dollar they have.

http://www.romancescam.com/forum/portal.php

Of course, it's not just Nigerians anymore. Russian organized crime has also gotten in on the act to a large extent.

TheWraith

(24,331 posts)
16. Precisely. Is this somehow more okay than other kinds of fraud?
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 07:52 PM
Jan 2012

So people are going to mock the fact that the government wants to crack down on people who find lonely folks through dating websites and bilk them for all they're worth? What the hell happened to liberals supposedly being the ones who BELIEVED in things like government protections?

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
19. Oh, we know how it gets to this point
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 08:00 PM
Jan 2012

In the long-term, I believe our system of government is self-correcting. Not everyone is as optimistic about that, and not entirely without justification.

A lot of people also don't know the extent of international organized crime and other dangerous elements engaged in online financial fraud, and how various legitimate law enforcement responsibilities were rolled up into the Orwellian-titled DHS.

TheWraith

(24,331 posts)
25. It threatens individual people, like any other kind of fraud.
Mon Jan 16, 2012, 01:34 PM
Jan 2012

Should those individuals just be told to fuck off because it's not terrorism related? Or have we forgotten that DHS includes the FBI and almost all other federal law enforcement?

 

kestrel91316

(51,666 posts)
2. So I assume this means DHS is now snooping on us on DATING websites?
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:28 PM
Jan 2012

Do they track our little chats with our dating website friends? SERIOUSLY??

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
7. By giving a talk on fraud at a conference?
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:45 PM
Jan 2012

Seriously? You think giving a talk about international financial fraud at a conference means they are watching dating sites?

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=13898664


Match.com, one of the country's most popular dating websites, takes credit for "more relationships and more marriages than any other site." But not every connection made on Match.com has a fairytale ending -- and Joan Romano found that out the hard way.

...


The FBI said it gets thousands of complaints a year from people like Romano, who have been scammed by people they meet on online dating websites.

The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
6. I just had to go there after that:
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:37 PM
Jan 2012

Adult Dating Site for Singles & Swingers in Australia - RedHotPie

www.redhotpie.com.au/
RedHotPie provides Adult dating services for singles & swingers in Australia. We have over 2 million member listings and Australia's most comprehensive ...

about us:
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kenny blankenship

(15,689 posts)
5. You can keep your heavy petting sessions Terror-Free
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 01:34 PM
Jan 2012

Last edited Sun Jan 15, 2012, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

by observing these simple rules of hygiene.

ThoughtCriminal

(14,010 posts)
9. Oh. Credit card fraud and identity theft
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 03:08 PM
Jan 2012

I was thinking it was about using a picture from 1998 or my hobby of rescuing puppies from oil well fires.

 

Zalatix

(8,994 posts)
10. Let me get this right... this is not about just dating scams, but scams in general, right?
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 03:10 PM
Jan 2012

And the DHS is addressing its suspicions that these scams are feeding money into terrorist and organized crime groups?

Is this what I am to take from this? Because if so then I can see them having a point.


Otherwise...
[img][/img]

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
12. Same here
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 04:45 PM
Jan 2012

I do think they have a point. Scammers use the lonely and vulnerable to bilk money, it was only a matter of time before terrorist networks figured that out, too.

My lady and I met on a website for larger people, there are a lot of women there who believe the BS that someone writes to them to get into their hearts and wallets. Same is true of religious dating websites, as well, as the victims have the naive believe that their invisible skyfather is not going to let them be cheated in his name.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
15. I think that just applies
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 07:44 PM
Jan 2012

to counterfeit money, and a few other things. It seems that perhaps it's within the purview of the FBI, but as we know, the hysteria after 9/11 gave us much more than just a Constitutionally questionable Patriot Act, it also required consolidation of a lot of investigational authority under the umbrella of the Homeland Security folks.

Being as this involves money going overseas, and it would take an internationally-empowered law enforcement authority to have the stature to pursue this, it seems reasonable to me.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
20. +1
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 08:04 PM
Jan 2012

Customs enforcement, for example, was moved over from, I believe, Treasury.

(Although why they wouldn't move, for example, the Office of Foreign Asset Control is kind of a head scratcher, but I assume that's because Treasury still has a lot to do with foreign monetary transactions generally)
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
13. Spam Gangs and 419 Gangs
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 05:48 PM
Jan 2012

...while not "terrorists" per se, do have unsavory financial connections.

And, yes, they ply their trade on dating sites, taking advantage of the emotional vulnerabilities you cite.

TheWraith

(24,331 posts)
17. Nothing to do with terrorism, just fraud in general.
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 07:54 PM
Jan 2012

And yes, some of it is by organized crime groups, strategically bilking people out of money--usually older widows/widowers who are lonely and easily taken in by someone pretending to like them.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
11. The DHS decided to become social engineers because
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 03:12 PM
Jan 2012

with OBL dead, they have no real purpose anymore and are a redundant agency (hello...we already have the NSA).

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
21. Topics will include: "Coping With Love- While Groping With Gloves"
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 08:29 PM
Jan 2012

"Love Potion #9, 6 oz. or less"

And

"Is that a box cutter in your carry-on, or are you just glad to see me?"

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
23. If you ever need to kill some time, go to "scamorama.com"
Sun Jan 15, 2012, 08:34 PM
Jan 2012

Some of the exchanges people have had with 419 scammers are hysterical.

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