2007年VOA标准英语-FBI Says White Collar Crime Is Increasingly Glo

By Mona Ghuneim
New York
17 April 2007

The Federal Bureau of Investigation¹ says an increasing number of its cases involving white collar crime, cyber crime and securities fraud are international. In New York, FBI officials discussed efforts to coordinate² with foreign governments and international law enforcement to investigate these crimes. Mona Ghuneim has the story.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation says disappearing trade barriers, the global nature of banking³ today and the Internet are the main reasons why crime cases are becoming more and more international.

The FBI says international cooperation is essential in investigating everything from terrorist use of the Internet to mortgage fraud to fake charitable websites.

Special Agent Teresa Carlson works in the FBI's White Collar Crime Division in New York. She says cyber crimes know no boundaries.

"We rely upon our partners overseas. We have legal attaches in 59 countries, which means FBI personnel are stationed in those countries," she said. "They cover over 200 countries, I believe, right now and they assist us in getting things done overseas."

Special Agent Ben Berry says the legal attaches stationed abroad help to establish direct contacts with foreign law enforcement authorities as well as to facilitate travel for FBI agents.

Berry says he has seen an increase in worldwide counterfeit⁴ scams, credit card fraud, identity theft, and even lottery⁵ schemes.

"When I first joined the FBI, it was quite a big deal for an agent to travel from New York to Los Angeles," he said. "Now it's routine for an agent in New York to travel halfway⁶ across the world."

In general, Berry says, international cooperation has been efficient and forthcoming. While alliances have improved, particularly in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine and West Africa, the Internet still poses a lot of problems.

Berry says the Internet makes it easier for a perpetrator 6,000 miles away to target victims in the United States. He says the World Wide Web allows a crime to happen instantly and that time differences can give the perpetrator an advantage.

"The nature of banking is such where money can be wire-transferred instantaneously," said Ben. "And given the differences in time zones, oftentimes it makes it very difficult for us to get that money back in any expeditious⁷ way, if we can get the money back at all."

One of the problems, according to the FBI, is the time delay involved when seeking information from overseas Internet service providers. Often times, these Internet providers are not subject to the same laws and subpoena⁸ rights as in the United States.

The agents say the FBI will continue to partner with international law enforcement and strengthen reciprocal alliances to help expedite information.

But they also say that people should use sound judgment⁹ in providing any personal information. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

5 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

6 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

7 expeditious   

adj.迅速的，敏捷的

参考例句：

• They are almost as expeditious and effectual as Aladdin's lamp.他们几乎像如意神灯那么迅速有效。
• It is more convenien,expeditious and economical than telephone or telegram.它比电话或电报更方便、迅速和经济。

8 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。