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https://www.justia.com/criminal/offenses/white-collar-crimes/racketeering-rico/
https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Racketeering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3x2Uy_iiso
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/content/rico-act.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JutJ9hcyw
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/cyberextortion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JutJ9hcyw&t=115s
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2013-2014/the-sextortion-of-amanda-todd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJlhVUE6Zh8
https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-every-parent-needs-to-know-about-sextortion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=D3x2Uy_iiso
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/22/growing-blackmail-scam-demands-payment-in-bitcoin.html

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Extortion
The gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force or threat of violence, property damge, harm to reputation, or unfavourable government action

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Amanda Todd

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The mafia was well known for racketeering. Before the RICO act had been passed a "mob boss" couldn't be proven guilty unless he personally committed the crime. It was hard to prove anything in court because of lack of evidence and hearsay. This video goes over the decline of the mafia after the RICO act had been passed. Once it had been passed, investigators were able to collect more background information and connect the different elements of criminal enterprise together, which lead to an increase in the prosecution of mob members.

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This article discusses the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization, RICO, act. This act was passed in 1970 to fight organized crime in the United States. It goes over the basics of the act like what it takes to be convicted under the RICO act and the different activiites that fall under the RICO act such as money laundering,  murder, bribery, drug trafficking etc. This article informs people of the different forms or racketeering and the penalties established under the RICO act.

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Passed in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law designed to combat organized crime in the United States. It allows prosecution and civil penalties for racketeering activity performed as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Such activity may include illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, embezzlement, drug trafficking, slavery, and a host of other unsavory business practices.
To convict a defendant under RICO, the government must prove that the defendant engaged in two or more instances of racketeering activity and that the defendant directly invested in, maintained an interest in, or participated in a criminal enterprise affecting interstate or foreign commerce. The law has been used to prosecute members of the mafia, the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, and Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group, among many others.

§ 1961. Definitions

As used in this chapter

(1) racketeering activity means (A) any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act), which is chargeable under State law and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year; (B) any act which is indictable under any of the following provisions of title 18, United States Code: Section 201 (relating to bribery), section 224 (relating to sports bribery), sections 471, 472, and 473 (relating to counterfeiting), section 659 (relating to theft from interstate shipment) if the act indictable under section 659 is felonious, section 664 (relating to embezzlement from pension and welfare funds), sections 891894 (relating to extortionate credit transactions), section 1028 (relating to fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents), section 1029 (relating to fraud and related activity in connection with access devices), section 1084 (relating to the transmission of gambling information), section 1341 (relating to mail fraud), section 1343 (relating to wire fraud), section 1344 (relating to financial institution fraud), section 1425 (relating to the procurement of citizenship or nationalization unlawfully), section 1426 (relating to the reproduction of naturalization or citizenship papers), section 1427 (relating to the sale of naturalization or citizenship papers), sections 14611465 (relating to obscene matter), section 1503 (relating to obstruction of justice), section 1510 (relating to obstruction of criminal investigations), section 1511 (relating to the obstruction of State or local law enforcement), section 1512 (relating to tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant), section 1513 (relating to retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant), section 1542 (relating to false statement in application and use of passport), section 1543 (relating to forgery or false use of passport), section 1544 (relating to misuse of passport), section 1546 (relating to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents), sections 15811592 (relating to peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons).,[1] section 1951 (relating to interference with commerce, robbery, or extortion), section 1952 (relating to racketeering), section 1953 (relating to interstate transportation of wagering paraphernalia), section 1954 (relating to unlawful welfare fund payments), section 1955 (relating to the prohibition of illegal gambling businesses), section 1956 (relating to the laundering of monetary instruments), section 1957 (relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity), section 1958 (relating to use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire), section 1960 (relating to illegal money transmitters), sections 2251, 2251A, 2252, and 2260 (relating to sexual exploitation of children), sections 2312 and 2313 (relating to interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles), sections 2314 and 2315 (relating to interstate transportation of stolen property), section 2318 (relating to trafficking in counterfeit labels for phonorecords, computer programs or computer program documentation or packaging and copies of motion pictures or other audiovisual works), section 2319 (relating to criminal infringement of a copyright), section 2319A (relating to unauthorized fixation of and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos of live musical performances), section 2320 (relating to trafficking in goods or services bearing counterfeit marks), section 2321 (relating to trafficking in certain motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts), sections 23412346 (relating to trafficking in contraband cigarettes), sections 242124 (relating to white slave traffic), sections 175178 (relating to biological weapons), sections 229229F (relating to chemical weapons), section 831 (relating to nuclear materials), (C) any act which is indictable under title 29, United States Code, section 186 (dealing with restrictions on payments and loans to labor organizations) or section 501 (c) (relating to embezzlement from union funds), (D) any offense involving fraud connected with a case under title 11 (except a case under section 157 of this title), fraud in the sale of securities, or the felonious manufacture, importation, receiving, concealment, buying, selling, or otherwise dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act), punishable under any law of the United States, (E) any act which is indictable under the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, (F) any act which is indictable under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 274 (relating to bringing in and harboring certain aliens), section 277 (relating to aiding or assisting certain aliens to enter the United States), or section 278 (relating to importation of alien for immoral purpose) if the act indictable under such section of such Act was committed for the purpose of financial gain, or (G) any act that is indictable under any provision listed in section 2332b (g)(5)(B);

(2) State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any political subdivision, or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof;

(3) person includes any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property;

(4) enterprise includes any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity, and any union or group of individuals associated in fact although not a legal entity;

(5) pattern of racketeering activity requires at least two acts of racketeering activity, one of which occurred after the effective date of this chapter and the last of which occurred within ten years (excluding any period of imprisonment) after the commission of a prior act of racketeering activity;

(6) unlawful debt means a debt

(A) incurred or contracted in gambling activity which was in violation of the law of the United States, a State or political subdivision thereof, or which is unenforceable under State or Federal law in whole or in part as to principal or interest because of the laws relating to usury, and

(B) which was incurred in connection with the business of gambling in violation of the law of the United States, a State or political subdivision thereof, or the business of lending money or a thing of value at a rate usurious under State or Federal law, where the usurious rate is at least twice the enforceable rate;

(7) racketeering investigator means any attorney or investigator so designated by the Attorney General and charged with the duty of enforcing or carrying into effect this chapter;

(8) racketeering investigation means any inquiry conducted by any racketeering investigator for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person has been involved in any violation of this chapter or of any final order, judgment, or decree of any court of the United States, duly entered in any case or proceeding arising under this chapter;

(9) documentary material includes any book, paper, document, record, recording, or other material; and

(10) Attorney General includes the Attorney General of the United States, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, the Associate Attorney General of the United States, any Assistant Attorney General of the United States, or any employee of the Department of Justice or any employee of any department or agency of the United States so designated by the Attorney General to carry out the powers conferred on the Attorney General by this chapter. Any department or agency so designated may use in investigations authorized by this chapter either the investigative provisions of this chapter or the investigative power of such department or agency otherwise conferred by law.

§ 1962. Prohibited activities

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who has received any income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt in which such person has participated as a principal within the meaning of section 2, title 18, United States Code, to use or invest, directly or indirectly, any part of such income, or the proceeds of such income, in acquisition of any interest in, or the establishment or operation of, any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. A purchase of securities on the open market for purposes of investment, and without the intention of controlling or participating in the control of the issuer, or of assisting another to do so, shall not be unlawful under this subsection if the securities of the issuer held by the purchaser, the members of his immediate family, and his or their accomplices in any pattern or racketeering activity or the collection of an unlawful debt after such purchase do not amount in the aggregate to one percent of the outstanding securities of any one class, and do not confer, either in law or in fact, the power to elect one or more directors of the issuer.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person through a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt to acquire or maintain, directly or indirectly, any interest in or control of any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce.

(c) It shall be unlawful for any person employed by or associated with any enterprise engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce, to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprises affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity or collection of unlawful debt.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to conspire to violate any of the provisions of subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section.

§ 1963. Criminal penalties

(a) Whoever violates any provision of section 1962 of this chapter shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years (or for life if the violation is based on a racketeering activity for which the maximum penalty includes life imprisonment), or both, and shall forfeit to the United States, irrespective of any provision of State law

(1) any interest the person has acquired or maintained in violation of section 1962;

(2) any

(A) interest in;

(B) security of;

(C) claim against; or

(D) property or contractual right of any kind affording a source of influence over;

any enterprise which the person has established, operated, controlled, conducted, or participated in the conduct of, in violation of section 1962; and

(3) any property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds which the person obtained, directly or indirectly, from racketeering activity or unlawful debt collection in violation of section 1962.

The court, in imposing sentence on such person shall order, in addition to any other sentence imposed pursuant to this section, that the person forfeit to the United States all property described in this subsection. In lieu of a fine otherwise authorized by this section, a defendant who derives profits or other proceeds from an offense may be fined not more than twice the gross profits or other proceeds.

(b) Property subject to criminal forfeiture under this section includes

(1) real property, including things growing on, affixed to, and found in land; and

(2) tangible and intangible personal property, including rights, privileges, interests, claims, and securities.

(c) All right, title, and interest in property described in subsection (a) vests in the United States upon the commission of the act giving rise to forfeiture under this section. Any such property that is subsequently transferred to a person other than the defendant may be the subject of a special verdict of forfeiture and thereafter shall be ordered forfeited to the United States, unless the transferee establishes in a hearing pursuant to subsection (l) that he is a bona fide purchaser for value of such property who at the time of purchase was reasonably without cause to believe that the property was subject to forfeiture under this section.

(d)

(1) Upon application of the United States, the court may enter a restraining order or injunction, require the execution of a satisfactory performance bond, or take any other action to preserve the availability of property described in subsection (a) for forfeiture under this section

(A) upon the filing of an indictment or information charging a violation of section 1962 of this chapter and alleging that the property with respect to which the order is sought would, in the event of conviction, be subject to forfeiture under this section; or

(B) prior to the filing of such an indictment or information, if, after notice to persons appearing to have an interest in the property and opportunity for a hearing, the court determines that

(i) there is a substantial probability that the United States will prevail on the issue of forfeiture and that failure to enter the order will result in the property being destroyed, removed from the jurisdiction of the court, or otherwise made unavailable for forfeiture; and

(ii) the need to preserve the availability of the property through the entry of the requested order outweighs the hardship on any party against whom the order is to be entered:

Provided, however, That an order entered pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall be effective for not more than ninety days, unless extended by the court for good cause shown or unless an indictment or information described in subparagraph (A) has been filed.

(2) A temporary restraining order under this subsection may be entered upon application of the United States without notice or opportunity for a hearing when an information or indictment has not yet been filed with respect to the property, if the United States demonstrates that there is probable cause to believe that the property with respect to which the order is sought would, in the event of conviction, be subject to forfeiture under this section and that provision of notice will jeopardize the availability of the property for forfeiture. Such a temporary order shall expire not more than fourteen days after the date on which it is entered, unless extended for good cause shown or unless the party against whom it is entered consents to an extension for a longer period. A hearing requested concerning an order entered under this paragraph shall be held at the earliest possible time, and prior to the expiration of the temporary order.

(3) The court may receive and consider, at a hearing held pursuant to this subsection, evidence and information that would be inadmissible under the Federal Rules of Evidence.

(e) Upon conviction of a person under this section, the court shall enter a judgment of forfeiture of the property to the United States and shall also authorize the Attorney General to seize all property ordered forfeited upon such terms and conditions as the court shall deem proper. Following the entry of an order declaring the property forfeited, the court may, upon application of the United States, enter such appropriate restraining orders or injunctions, require the execution of satisfactory performance bonds, appoint receivers, conservators, appraisers, accountants, or trustees, or take any other action to protect the interest of the United States in the property ordered forfeited. Any income accruing to, or derived from, an enterprise or an interest in an enterprise which has been ordered forfeited under this section may be used to offset ordinary and necessary expenses to the enterprise which are required by law, or which are necessary to protect the interests of the United States or third parties.

(f) Following the seizure of property ordered forfeited under this section, the Attorney General shall direct the disposition of the property by sale or any other commercially feasible means, making due provision for the rights of any innocent persons. Any property right or interest not exercisable by, or transferable for value to, the United States shall expire and shall not revert to the defendant, nor shall the defendant or any person acting in concert with or on behalf of the defendant be eligible to purchase forfeited property at any sale held by the United States. Upon application of a person, other than the defendant or a person acting in concert with or on behalf of the defendant, the court may restrain or stay the sale or disposition of the property pending the conclusion of any appeal of the criminal case giving rise to the forfeiture, if the applicant demonstrates that proceeding with the sale or disposition of the property will result in irreparable injury, harm or loss to him. Notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 (b), the proceeds of any sale or other disposition of property forfeited under this section and any moneys forfeited shall be used to pay all proper expenses for the forfeiture and the sale, including expenses of seizure, maintenance and custody of the property pending its disposition, advertising and court costs. The Attorney General shall deposit in the Treasury any amounts of such proceeds or moneys remaining after the payment of such expenses.

(g) With respect to property ordered forfeited under this section, the Attorney General is authorized to

(1) grant petitions for mitigation or remission of forfeiture, restore forfeited property to victims of a violation of this chapter, or take any other action to protect the rights of innocent persons which is in the interest of justice and which is not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter;

(2) compromise claims arising under this section;

(3) award compensation to persons providing information resulting in a forfeiture under this section;

(4) direct the disposition by the United States of all property ordered forfeited under this section by public sale or any other commercially feasible means, making due provision for the rights of innocent persons; and

(5) take appropriate measures necessary to safeguard and maintain property ordered forfeited under this section pending its disposition.

(h) The Attorney General may promulgate regulations with respect to

(1) making reasonable efforts to provide notice to persons who may have an interest in property ordered forfeited under this section;

(2) granting petitions for remission or mitigation of forfeiture;

(3) the restitution of property to victims of an offense petitioning for remission or mitigation of forfeiture under this chapter;

(4) the disposition by the United States of forfeited property by public sale or other commercially feasible means;

(5) the maintenance and safekeeping of any property forfeited under this section pending its disposition; and

(6) the compromise of claims arising under this chapter.

Pending the promulgation of such regulations, all provisions of law relating to the disposition of property, or the proceeds from the sale thereof, or the remission or mitigation of forfeitures for violation of the customs laws, and the compromise of claims and the award of compensation to informers in respect of such forfeitures shall apply to forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions of this section, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions hereof. Such duties as are imposed upon the Customs Service or any person with respect to the disposition of property under the customs law shall be performed under this chapter by the Attorney General.

(i) Except as provided in subsection (l), no party claiming an interest in property subject to forfeiture under this section may

(1) intervene in a trial or appeal of a criminal case involving the forfeiture of such property under this section; or

(2) commence an action at law or equity against the United States concerning the validity of his alleged interest in the property subsequent to the filing of an indictment or information alleging that the property is subject to forfeiture under this section.

(j) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to enter orders as provided in this section without regard to the location of any property which may be subject to forfeiture under this section or which has been ordered forfeited under this section.

(k) In order to facilitate the identification or location of property declared forfeited and to facilitate the disposition of petitions for remission or mitigation of forfeiture, after the entry of an order declaring property forfeited to the United States the court may, upon application of the United States, order that the testimony of any witness relating to the property forfeited be taken by deposition and that any designated book, paper, document, record, recording, or other material not privileged be produced at the same time and place, in the same manner as provided for the taking of depositions under Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(l)

(1) Following the entry of an order of forfeiture under this section, the United States shall publish notice of the order and of its intent to dispose of the property in such manner as the Attorney General may direct. The Government may also, to the extent practicable, provide direct written notice to any person known to have alleged an interest in the property that is the subject of the order of forfeiture as a substitute for published notice as to those persons so notified.

(2) Any person, other than the defendant, asserting a legal interest in property which has been ordered forfeited to the United States pursuant to this section may, within thirty days of the final publication of notice or his receipt of notice under paragraph (1), whichever is earlier, petition the court for a hearing to adjudicate the validity of his alleged interest in the property. The hearing shall be held before the court alone, without a jury.

(3) The petition shall be signed by the petitioner under penalty of perjury and shall set forth the nature and extent of the petitioners right, title, or interest in the property, the time and circumstances of the petitioners acquisition of the right, title, or interest in the property, any additional facts supporting the petitioners claim, and the relief sought.

(4) The hearing on the petition shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with the interests of justice, be held within thirty days of the filing of the petition. The court may consolidate the hearing on the petition with a hearing on any other petition filed by a person other than the defendant under this subsection.

(5) At the hearing, the petitioner may testify and present evidence and witnesses on his own behalf, and cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing. The United States may present evidence and witnesses in rebuttal and in defense of its claim to the property and cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing. In addition to testimony and evidence presented at the hearing, the court shall consider the relevant portions of the record of the criminal case which resulted in the order of forfeiture.

(6) If, after the hearing, the court determines that the petitioner has established by a preponderance of the evidence that

(A) the petitioner has a legal right, title, or interest in the property, and such right, title, or interest renders the order of forfeiture invalid in whole or in part because the right, title, or interest was vested in the petitioner rather than the defendant or was superior to any right, title, or interest of the defendant at the time of the commission of the acts which gave rise to the forfeiture of the property under this section; or

(B) the petitioner is a bona fide purchaser for value of the right, title, or interest in the property and was at the time of purchase reasonably without cause to believe that the property was subject to forfeiture under this section;

the court shall amend the order of forfeiture in accordance with its determination.

(7) Following the courts disposition of all petitions filed under this subsection, or if no such petitions are filed following the expiration of the period provided in paragraph (2) for the filing of such petitions, the United States shall have clear title to property that is the subject of the order of forfeiture and may warrant good title to any subsequent purchaser or transferee.

(m) If any of the property described in subsection (a), as a result of any act or omission of the defendant

(1) cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence;

(2) has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party;

(3) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court;

(4) has been substantially diminished in value; or

(5) has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty;

the court shall order the forfeiture of any other property of the defendant up to the value of any property described in paragraphs (1) through (5).

§ 1964. Civil remedies

(a) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of section 1962 of this chapter by issuing appropriate orders, including, but not limited to: ordering any person to divest himself of any interest, direct or indirect, in any enterprise; imposing reasonable restrictions on the future activities or investments of any person, including, but not limited to, prohibiting any person from engaging in the same type of endeavor as the enterprise engaged in, the activities of which affect interstate or foreign commerce; or ordering dissolution or reorganization of any enterprise, making due provision for the rights of innocent persons.

(b) The Attorney General may institute proceedings under this section. Pending final determination thereof, the court may at any time enter such restraining orders or prohibitions, or take such other actions, including the acceptance of satisfactory performance bonds, as it shall deem proper.

(c) Any person injured in his business or property by reason of a violation of section 1962 of this chapter may sue therefor in any appropriate United States district court and shall recover threefold the damages he sustains and the cost of the suit, including a reasonable attorneys fee, except that no person may rely upon any conduct that would have been actionable as fraud in the purchase or sale of securities to establish a violation of section 1962. The exception contained in the preceding sentence does not apply to an action against any person that is criminally convicted in connection with the fraud, in which case the statute of limitations shall start to run on the date on which the conviction becomes final.

(d) A final judgment or decree rendered in favor of the United States in any criminal proceeding brought by the United States under this chapter shall estop the defendant from denying the essential allegations of the criminal offense in any subsequent civil proceeding brought by the United States.

§ 1965. Venue and process

(a) Any civil action or proceeding under this chapter against any person may be instituted in the district court of the United States for any district in which such person resides, is found, has an agent, or transacts his affairs.

(b) In any action under section 1964 of this chapter in any district court of the United States in which it is shown that the ends of justice require that other parties residing in any other district be brought before the court, the court may cause such parties to be summoned, and process for that purpose may be served in any judicial district of the United States by the marshal thereof.

(c) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding instituted by the United States under this chapter in the district court of the United States for any judicial district, subpenas issued by such court to compel the attendance of witnesses may be served in any other judicial district, except that in any civil action or proceeding no such subpena shall be issued for service upon any individual who resides in another district at a place more than one hundred miles from the place at which such court is held without approval given by a judge of such court upon a showing of good cause.

(d) All other process in any action or proceeding under this chapter may be served on any person in any judicial district in which such person resides, is found, has an agent, or transacts his affairs.

§ 1966. Expedition of actions

In any civil action instituted under this chapter by the United States in any district court of the United States, the Attorney General may file with the clerk of such court a certificate stating that in his opinion the case is of general public importance. A copy of that certificate shall be furnished immediately by such clerk to the chief judge or in his absence to the presiding district judge of the district in which such action is pending. Upon receipt of such copy, such judge shall designate immediately a judge of that district to hear and determine action.

§ 1967. Evidence

In any proceeding ancillary to or in any civil action instituted by the United States under this chapter the proceedings may be open or closed to the public at the discretion of the court after consideration of the rights of affected persons.

§ 1968. Civil investigative demand

(a) Whenever the Attorney General has reason to believe that any person or enterprise may be in possession, custody, or control of any documentary materials relevant to a racketeering investigation, he may, prior to the institution of a civil or criminal proceeding thereon, issue in writing, and cause to be served upon such person, a civil investigative demand requiring such person to produce such material for examination.

(b) Each such demand shall

(1) state the nature of the conduct constituting the alleged racketeering violation which is under investigation and the provision of law applicable thereto;

(2) describe the class or classes of documentary material produced thereunder with such definiteness and certainty as to permit such material to be fairly identified;

(3) state that the demand is returnable forthwith or prescribe a return date which will provide a reasonable period of time within which the material so demanded may be assembled and made available for inspection and copying or reproduction; and

(4) identify the custodian to whom such material shall be made available.

(c) No such demand shall

(1) contain any requirement which would be held to be unreasonable if contained in a subpena duces tecum issued by a court of the United States in aid of a grand jury investigation of such alleged racketeering violation; or

(2) require the production of any documentary evidence which would be privileged from disclosure if demanded by a subpena duces tecum issued by a court of the United States in aid of a grand jury investigation of such alleged racketeering violation.

(d) Service of any such demand or any petition filed under this section may be made upon a person by

(1) delivering a duly executed copy thereof to any partner, executive officer, managing agent, or general agent thereof, or to any agent thereof authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process on behalf of such person, or upon any individual person;

(2) delivering a duly executed copy thereof to the principal office or place of business of the person to be served; or

(3) depositing such copy in the United States mail, by registered or certified mail duly addressed to such person at its principal office or place of business.

(e) A verified return by the individual serving any such demand or petition setting forth the manner of such service shall be prima facie proof of such service. In the case of service by registered or certified mail, such return shall be accompanied by the return post office receipt of delivery of such demand.

(f)

(1) The Attorney General shall designate a racketeering investigator to serve as racketeer document custodian, and such additional racketeering investigators as he shall determine from time to time to be necessary to serve as deputies to such officer.

(2) Any person upon whom any demand issued under this section has been duly served shall make such material available for inspection and copying or reproduction to the custodian designated therein at the principal place of business of such person, or at such other place as such custodian and such person thereafter may agree and prescribe in writing or as the court may direct, pursuant to this section on the return date specified in such demand, or on such later date as such custodian may prescribe in writing. Such person may upon written agreement between such person and the custodian substitute for copies of all or any part of such material originals thereof.

(3) The custodian to whom any documentary material is so delivered shall take physical possession thereof, and shall be responsible for the use made thereof and for the return thereof pursuant to this chapter. The custodian may cause the preparation of such copies of such documentary material as may be required for official use under regulations which shall be promulgated by the Attorney General. While in the possession of the custodian, no material so produced shall be available for examination, without the consent of the person who produced such material, by any individual other than the Attorney General. Under such reasonable terms and conditions as the Attorney General shall prescribe, documentary material while in the possession of the custodian shall be available for examination by the person who produced such material or any duly authorized representatives of such person.

(4) Whenever any attorney has been designated to appear on behalf of the United States before any court or grand jury in any case or proceeding involving any alleged violation of this chapter, the custodian may deliver to such attorney such documentary material in the possession of the custodian as such attorney determines to be required for use in the presentation of such case or proceeding on behalf of the United States. Upon the conclusion of any such case or proceeding, such attorney shall return to the custodian any documentary material so withdrawn which has not passed into the control of such court or grand jury through the introduction thereof into the record of such case or proceeding.

(5) Upon the completion of

(i) the racketeering investigation for which any documentary material was produced under this chapter, and

(ii) any case or proceeding arising from such investigation, the custodian shall return to the person who produced such material all such material other than copies thereof made by the Attorney General pursuant to this subsection which has not passed into the control of any court or grand jury through the introduction thereof into the record of such case or proceeding.

(6) When any documentary material has been produced by any person under this section for use in any racketeering investigation, and no such case or proceeding arising therefrom has been instituted within a reasonable time after completion of the examination and analysis of all evidence assembled in the course of such investigation, such person shall be entitled, upon written demand made upon the Attorney General, to the return of all documentary material other than copies thereof made pursuant to this subsection so produced by such person.

(7) In the event of the death, disability, or separation from service of the custodian of any documentary material produced under any demand issued under this section or the official relief of such custodian from responsibility for the custody and control of such material, the Attorney General shall promptly

(i) designate another racketeering investigator to serve as custodian thereof, and

(ii) transmit notice in writing to the person who produced such material as to the identity and address of the successor so designated.

Any successor so designated shall have with regard to such materials all duties and responsibilities imposed by this section upon his predecessor in office with regard thereto, except that he shall not be held responsible for any default or dereliction which occurred before his designation as custodian.

(g) Whenever any person fails to comply with any civil investigative demand duly served upon him under this section or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any such material cannot be done and such person refuses to surrender such material, the Attorney General may file, in the district court of the United States for any judicial district in which such person resides, is found, or transacts business, and serve upon such person a petition for an order of such court for the enforcement of this section, except that if such person transacts business in more than one such district such petition shall be filed in the district in which such person maintains his principal place of business, or in such other district in which such person transacts business as may be agreed upon by the parties to such petition.

(h) Within twenty days after the service of any such demand upon any person, or at any time before the return date specified in the demand, whichever period is shorter, such person may file, in the district court of the United States for the judicial district within which such person resides, is found, or transacts business, and serve upon such custodian a petition for an order of such court modifying or setting aside such demand. The time allowed for compliance with the demand in whole or in part as deemed proper and ordered by the court shall not run during the pendency of such petition in the court. Such petition shall specify each ground upon which the petitioner relies in seeking such relief, and may be based upon any failure of such demand to comply with the provisions of this section or upon any constitutional or other legal right or privilege of such person.

(i) At any time during which any custodian is in custody or control of any documentary material delivered by any person in compliance with any such demand, such person may file, in the district court of the United States for the judicial district within which the office of such custodian is situated, and serve upon such custodian a petition for an order of such court requiring the performance by such custodian of any duty imposed upon him by this section.

(j) Whenever any petition is filed in any district court of the United States under this section, such court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter so presented, and to enter such order or orders as may be required to carry into effect the provisions of this section.

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Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)

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Passed in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law designed to combat organized crime in the United States. It allows prosecution and civil penalties for racketeering activity performed as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

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Obtaining or extorting money illegally or carrying on illegal business activities, usually by organized crime. This picture is of Al Capone, a notorious mobster, who was well known for offering businesses "protection" in exchange for money. If he didn't have his money by a certain than someone would be killed or seriously injured.

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This video begins by talking about a young girl named Cassidy Wolf, crowned Miss Teen USA, being pursued by an online stalker. She tells the reporters that the stalker had personal photos of her and if she didn't do what he said then the photos would be released. He had hacked into her webcam and secretly recorded her for a year. If she didn't send him better quality photos, snapchat him or skype him then he would continuously harass her, this went on for several months until he finally turned himself in. The stalker turned out to be someone who she went to high school with and lived in her home town named Jared James Abrahams, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The video explains the dangers of technology, it's so simple for someone just to hack into a webcam and record your every move. This is a growing issue in today's youth, a lack of knowledge about online predators makes it easier for stalkers to choose their victims.

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'Sextortion' Becomes Growing Online Global Threat

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Two George Mason University students recently fell victim to sextortion, after they were blackmailed with explicit videos.

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This article brings awareness about sextortion cases especially to parents of young children just getting into social media and instant messaging. Minors, particularly young women, are being targeted and forced to send blackmailers sexual images in fear of their safety. Sextortion cases aren't commonly discussed as something like human trafficking, only 5 states have made it a crime. For the other states that don't really consider it a crime, child pornography laws can be used to protect victims because in some states extortion laws only cover money or property.  This article educates people on the dangers children are facing online and to take caution while on social media or messaging sites.

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"Sextortion" is the fastest growing crime against children on the internet, according to the FBI. But no official records are kept, and only five states have made sextortion-whereby a perpetrator threatens victims with releasing explicit images unless they perform pornography on demand-a standalone crime.

Prosecutors say if we don't start actively telling kids-with some victims as young as 7 years old-that sextortion could happen to anyone (even those who have never shared a single intimate image), the problem is only going to get worse.

Although the FBI does not yet officially track instances of sextortion, the currently available data indicates that the problem is expanding. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found a 150 percent rise in reports of sextortion to its CyberTipline between 2014 and 2016.

The stories are horrifying. A little girl who is threatened that her dog will be killed if she doesn't send a naked picture. Forced sibling sex, involving 7- and 8-year-olds, along with bestiality. The 12-year-old girl who got a computer for Christmas then fell into a conversation with a predator who told her he was remotely controlling the device and could explode it like a bomb if she did not take her top off.

"Sextortion is definitely on the rise, particularly targeting young women," warned Mona Sedky, a senior trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, who has spent the last six years prosecuting victims of sextortion. "I had a case very recently, where the defendant sextorted dozens and dozens of young women all over the country. One brave young woman, after being sextorted for weeks and weeks, finally confided in her friend. If it hadn't been for that one brave victim to finally come forward, the defendant would still be at large today victimizing other young women."

This week, Ashton Kutcher's child advocacy non-profit Thorn launched a public awareness campaign at stopsexstortion.com (victims can also get immediate help by texting "thorn" to 741741) and coordinated messaging from Facebook, Twitter, and celebrities like Pretty Little Liars ' Shay Mitchell, who shot a PSA, and Cindy McCain, who tweeted, "If #sextortion happens to you, there is #NoShame in asking for help, I'm here to listen."

A major part of the problem is that it is so uncomfortable for minors to tell anyone when they are being sexually blackmailed, which is what makes sextortion so insidious, and sometimes fatal. In Utah, a 21-year-old man a month away from graduation killed himself in 2015 rather than tell his mother the details of what happened to him.

"For the first time in the history of the world you can sexually assault somebody who's not on the same continent as you-and by the way, you can do it to 50 people," said senior fellow Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution, who conducted the 2016 groundbreaking study on the widespread "virtual sexual assault" that is the sextortion phenomenon. The scalability of crimes and the sadistic pathology of the perpetrators are part of what it makes sextortion so ominous. Criminals keep intricate logs, refer to what they do as "slaving," and get off on the humiliation of providing deadlines and routines to perform demeaning sexual acts on cue.

"A huge amount of it is exercising control over people in particularly brutal and sustained fashion," Wittes said.

States without sexual blackmail laws can use federal child pornography statutes to get justice for victims, but in some states, the extortion laws are restricted to just money or property, not forced sexual conduct. Many cases are being handled at the federal level.

Attorney Carrie Goldberg is one of the lawyers who is leading the fight. Threatened with revenge porn herself when she was younger, she contributed to the Brookings Institution study and wrote a piece about how perpetrators lure in their victims. In her work, she has removed more than 17,000 nonconsensual pornographic images and videos from the internet, and a significant number of these were created by victims of sextortion.

"Sexual extortionists are vicious and frighteningly patient perverts who essentially turn their targets into sex slaves by deceiving them over months on social media through fake profiles and gaining their victims' trust before requesting nudes or images," Goldberg said. "When a target gives in-often after a lot of guilt and pestering from the offender-they are then blackmailed and the campaign of horror deepens. Victims are made to do shocking and degrading acts on camera for the perv's enjoyment. Like all sex crimes, this is about control through fear and degradation."

One of the most recent high-profile cases yet, which was prosecuted by Sedky, involved Michael Ford, a State Department employee who was working in London, where he spent two years hacking into online accounts and stealing photographs, then threatening about 75 women to provide pornographic materials-or else.

Ford made it appear that he was right outside their windows, likely by using Google Earth, to identify their apartments and relate details. His threats to women included specifics like, "I like your red fire escape. Easy to climb." One woman fell asleep every night with a knife under her pillow. He was sentenced to 57 months.

The FBI does not keep official tracking records for sextortion yet (one of the problems which advocates say needs to change), but Wittes' study last year identified 80 cases, involving more than 3,000 victims, and he says it's the tip of the iceberg.

"We've only scratched the surface," he said. "The community of victims is enormous, and yet they're not in touch with each other. There's no organization that represents them. Nobody identifies them because they're not trying to re-victimize people. But it produces this asymmetry in that everybody is aware of the problem of revenge porn, and most people are not aware of the problem of sextortion."

Part of the problem is the silence on the topic in schools and amongst parents, which predators then exploit, turning their victimization into something so big in a child's mind that they could never dare tell another soul.

"The crime can have devastating impacts on these victims, who are already at a vulnerable time in their lives," Sedky said. "They are afraid to tell their parents, to tell authorities, or even to confide in their friends. We need to hear from them so that we can prosecute the perpetrators and put them in jail.

As Brock Nicholson, head of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, recently said of the issue, "Predators used to stalk playgrounds. This is the new playground."

But if parents aren't willing to talk to their kids, someone else is going to take advantage of that-often in ways that the non-sociopathic mind can barely even begin to comprehend.

"When we were writing our report, something we struggled with was how much detail to include," Wittes said. "We didn't want to write something that would be titillating to the wrong people. But one of the things about these crimes is that the transcript of the crimes itself exist because it's not like sexual assault where you are relaying a victim's account of what happened. Here, you have logs of the actual interaction-the forensics involved-and the actual crime is something that is logged. And it is just unbelievably horrible stuff."

Some place the spread of the problem on society's squeamishness in avoiding sexual topics.

"Our culture's unwillingness to talk openly and honestly about sex endangers children," said Dr. Mary Anne Franks, who is a professor of law at University of Miami and the legislative and tech policy director at the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. "Parents have to be willing to talk to their children about sex and the importance of sexual consent. Otherwise, they leave children to learn about sex from peers, porn, and predators."

Crucial, too, is the notion that even if a parent is actively involved in their child's online life, it's important to not get too cocky about what you know.

"Many parents monitor their teen's phone for inappropriate usage but quite honestly there are so many new apps and opportunities for something to go unnoticed," said Dr. Shairi Turner, the chief medical officer of Crisis Text Line, which is another resource for victims. "Equally important is letting the teen know that if they find themselves a victim of sextortion, they should immediately alert their parents and that the focus will not be on punishment but on protection and safety."

The tragedy in all this is that many ruined lives-and suicides-could be prevented if parents could suffer through the discomfort of just broaching the topic, even one time.

"It's shocking to me how few parents know about sextortion when this is one of the most growing threats against children," said Charlotte Laws, an anti-revenge porn activist who has counseled more than 500 victims and places the American number of reported crimes at 6,500, although the actual number is difficult to pinpoint because it so often goes unreported. "If more parents would be willing to have a single 10-minute conversation with their kids, sadly as young as 7, lives and innocence can be saved."

Another problem is the sheer judgment on the internet alone. Look at any news story about sextortion shared on Facebook and the comments rack up again and again with comments about how stupid and naïve teenagers are to strip or send nude pictures.

"You can wag your finger about this or not, but it's a reality that there's a certain amount of exchange of nude sexually explicit images that is pretty normal in kids of a certain age," Wittes said. "I'm not really very patient with people whose reaction is victim blaming. And by the way, if you think that the victims in all these cases are 15-year-old girls who are too quick to take their clothes off, that's not what's going on here. My friend the 60-plus-year-old public intellectual Paul Berman wrote an incredible piece about how he was the subject of sexual extortion online."

Wittes began researching sextortion when he stumbled upon the case of master hacker Luis Mijangos, while researching his book The Future of Violence. Mijangos used malware-infection and key-logging to psychologically terrorize 230 victims, including 44 minors. Sentenced to six years of prison, Mijangos is set to be released this year.

"We were interested in the question of, 'OK, a drone strike seemed to be the first time in history where you could sit in Nevada and plot and execute the death of a person in Yemen," Wittes said. "We asked, what are other types of crime where you can attack someone across a great distance at an individual level electronically where people are actually projecting violence? I think of Mijangos as like a drone strike-only it's sex."

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Why Every Parent Needs to Know About Sextortion

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"Sextortion" is the fastest growing crime against children on the internet, according to the FBI. But no official records are kept, and only five states have made sextortion-whereby a perpetrator threatens victims with releasing explicit images unless they perform pornography on demand-a standalone crime.

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This is a form of blackmail in which sexual information or images are used to extort sexual favours from the victim. Social media and text messages are often the source of the sexual material and the threatened means of sharing it with others. This picture displays where sextortion is most prevalent. Social media sites like Snapchat actually have premium accounts specifically for sexual favours.

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Cyber extortion is a crime involving an attack or threat of an attack coupled with a demand for money or some other response in return for stopping or remediating the attack. This picture basically describes how cyber extortion works, paying someone in return for important information.

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This article talks about an online scam targeting men in wealthy neighbourhoods claiming to have intel on marital affairs and demanding money in return for their silence. A man by the name of Dave Eargle received an email stating "I know you cheated on your wife", further on in the email the blackmailer demands $2,000 via BITCOIN, a digital payment system, to have the evidence destroyed. Although Eargle was a faithfully married man he was still worried. After receiving the email he reached out to the authorities and then posted about this email on his blog. He found out that many men have been receiving the same email, the only difference was the amount of money the blackmailer asked for. This article warns people of the dangers of online blackmail scammers and what to do if you ever receive an email similar to this one.

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"I know you cheated on your wife."

Those chilling words were in a letter sent to Dave Eargle's home. The then-graduate student found the note in his mailbox and could not believe what he was reading.

"It is just your bad luck that I stumbled across your misadventures while working a job," the letter continued.

"Even if you decide to come clean with your wife about your cheating, doing so won't protect her from the humiliation she will feel when her friends and family find out the sordid details from me."

And then finally, a demand: "If you want me to destroy the evidence and leave you alone forever then send $2,000 in BITCOIN."

Eargle is happily (and faithfully) married, but said the blackmail letter had him on edge.

"And I had to think for a second because I was in a bit of a fluster, 'Am I actually keeping a secret from my wife?'" said Eargle, now an assistant professor at University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business. "It was scary because I felt like I was being targeted."

He notified police and then decided to post the experience on his relatively unknown blog. He soon realized he was not alone.

"[My blog] had received maybe three, two hits a day," he said. "Suddenly, it jumped up to 200 a day during right after the waves [of letters], 200 a day, 300 a day.

"One of the waves, I got 500 visits. ... I got a flood of new people saying, 'I got very similar letter. What do I do?'"

Eargle figured out that the letters were sent out in waves from different location across the country. The message was always the same - pay up or I will reveal your secret.

Married men from all over began reaching out to Eargle, some panicking about the letter.

"It was really comforting to find out that I wasn't probably being necessarily targeted, that this was just part of some more broad blackmailing scheme," he said.

"[The attacker] is hoping that they might get lucky with someone who actually ... [has] some infidelity there. And if they hit that target, that's a person who's probably willing to pay." -Patrick Wyman, FBI

According to Eargle, the scammer behind the letters is still at it. A bunch of letters went out across the country this month, with others going out in November and December.

"The cost of an incorrect guess about someone being unfaithful is ... the cost of a stamp these days, 50 cents," Eargle said. "That's not bad odds for an attacker."

When Eargle received the letter, the ransom was $2,000 in bitcoin, but he says more recent versions of the letter can ask for as much as $8,000 in bitcoin.

"The amount of money is such that it's not so much that someone might be willing to just pay that to make it go away," said Patrick Wyman, a supervisory special agent with the FBI's money laundering unit. "They're hoping that they might get lucky with someone who actually ... [has] some infidelity there. And if they hit that target, that's a person who's probably willing to pay."

The FBI and other authorities are working on bringing whomever is behind the scheme to justice.

No one is certain how the scammer picks the targets, but Eargle said would-be victims seem to live in affluent neighborhoods.

The men who received the letter may be "concerned about losing their social status if this attacker sends out information to their friends in their neighborhoods," Eargle said.

To make it easier to pay the ransom, the letter includes instructions on how to buy bitcoin. Eargle said each letter has a unique bitcoin wallet to send the money to, making it harder to trace.

"The idea behind virtual currency is that it hides behind this veil of secrecy that just because it's letters and numbers in terms of an account number, and there's no personal information associated with it, that law enforcement won't be able to track it," said Wyman at the FBI. "Virtual currencies do make it more difficult to track, but not impossible."

If you do receive the letter, the best advice is: Don't pay the ransom. (Eargle and others have not paid, and the scammer has not made good on those threats to alert letter recipients' wives or anyone in their social circles.)

But you should alert police and the FBI.

"That information is going to be very, very important for us to help connect the dots," Wyman said.

To avoid be targeting by the letter, Wyman suggests being careful whom you give your personal information to.

"If you're cautious about where you're sharing your personal information, ... very specific details about yourself or your family, ... that is going to help protect you from maybe this sort of a scam," he said.
More from Personal Finance:
'Wild west' days are over for cryptocurrencies, as IRS steps up enforcement
How to handle workplace sexual harassment
Here's the 'problem' half of retirees now face

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'I know you cheated on your wife.' Growing blackmail scam demands payment in bitcoin

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"I know you cheated on your wife." Those chilling words were in a letter sent to Dave Eargle's home. The then-graduate student found the note in his mailbox and could not believe what he was reading. "It is just your bad luck that I stumbled across your misadventures while working a job," the letter continued.

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This video is about a malware called Ransomware that blocks access to your files until a sum of money is paid but you are not guaranteed to retrieve your files even if you have paid. Once Ransomware has infected your computer it begins to search through all of your files and encrypt them making them useless unless you have the key, but you don't because they do. They then offer to give you the key in exchange for a lump sum of money within a certain period of time. If the money is not paid then your data will be released publicly.