U.S. Secret Service Investigation Defense

A Secret Service case usually means money moved electronically and somebody traced it.

Section 1029 is the statute to understand. It reaches far more than credit cards, and possession of fifteen or more unauthorised access devices is itself an offense.

What the Secret Service investigates

Counterfeiting of currency and securities, access device fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1029, bank fraud, identity theft, computer fraud and network intrusion affecting financial systems, and money laundering connected to those schemes.

It works alongside the FBI in this space, and which agency has a case is often a matter of who received the referral rather than a jurisdictional rule.

Access device fraud is broader than credit cards

An "access device" under § 1029 is any card, code, account number, electronic serial number, or other means of account access that can be used to obtain money, goods, or services. That covers credit and debit cards, but also account numbers, PINs, login credentials, gift card codes, and cryptocurrency keys.

The offenses include producing, using, or trafficking in counterfeit or unauthorised access devices; possessing fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorised devices; possessing device-making equipment such as encoders and skimmers; and effecting transactions with an unauthorised device aggregating $1,000 or more in a year.

The fifteen-device threshold is where volume cases are built. A list of stolen card numbers on a laptop can satisfy it instantly, which is why the count is often contested — whether particular numbers were "unauthorised access devices" at all, and whether the defendant knowingly possessed them, are genuine questions.

Business email compromise

BEC is now a substantial share of the agency's caseload. A company's email is compromised or spoofed, a wire instruction is altered, and a payment goes to an account controlled by the scheme.

These prosecutions charge wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. Many defendants are at the receiving end — people who allowed funds through their account for a fee, sometimes without knowing the source.

For those defendants the contested element is knowledge, and it is a real defense. Money mule prosecutions frequently rest on inference from the pattern of transfers rather than direct proof that the person knew the funds were criminal proceeds.

Counterfeiting

Manufacturing, passing, or possessing counterfeit currency with intent to defraud, under 18 U.S.C. §§ 471–474. Modern cases usually involve inkjet reproductions rather than sophisticated plates, and the contested element is typically intent — whether the person knew the notes were counterfeit when they passed them.

How these cases are built

Financial tracing from the account records outward, cooperation from earlier links in the chain, device forensics, and increasingly blockchain analysis where cryptocurrency was used. Attribution is the recurring weak point: linking a person to an account, a wallet, or an online handle involves inferential steps that are often longer than the indictment implies.

What to do if agents contact you

Do not answer questions. Say that you want to speak with a lawyer, and say nothing else. That is lawful and cannot be used as evidence of guilt. Lying to a federal agent is a separate felony under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 — no oath required.

Do not consent to a search. If they have a warrant they do not need permission.

Do not destroy anything. A preservation duty attaches the moment you know of the investigation.

Write down what happened — names, agency, time, what was asked, what was taken — the same day.

Then call (214) 225-7117. The pre-indictment window is the most valuable period you have.