Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center Prevents $273 Million in Fraud

Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center Prevents 3 Million in Fraud

In the three years since its launch, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) has prevented $273,848,699 in fraudulent losses across the state, recovered 20,428 stolen credit cards and numbers, and seized 968 credit card skimmers from gas pumps, ATMs, and point-of-sale terminals.

The FCIC, established by House Bill 2106 in the 87th Texas Legislature, is the first facility of its kind in the United States. It operates as a collaboration between the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, with a two-year budget of $2,650,000.

Located in Tyler, the FCIC houses a Digital Forensics Laboratory equipped with some of the most advanced forensic tools in the nation. Investigators can analyze electronic devices, including phones, computers, tablets, and skimming devices, to track and combat financial crimes.

“The Financial Crimes Intelligence Center has done so much to protect Texans from financial crimes, and unfortunately, there’s much more work for the investigators to do. We’re grateful to the Texas Legislature, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Governor for the trust they have placed in the FCIC, TDLR, and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, and look forward to accomplishing even more,” officials stated.

As its operations expand, the FCIC has uncovered previously unknown criminal groups operating in Texas and beyond. With financial fraud technology constantly evolving, the FCIC Digital Forensics Laboratory has been at the forefront of developing countermeasures to combat illicit financial activities.

The TDLR regulates motor fuel quality and metering and oversees consumer complaints and merchant reports related to credit card skimmers. The Smith County District Attorney’s Office aggressively investigates and prosecutes organized financial crimes, particularly fraud linked to gas pump skimmers.