Kristal Snider
09/19/2019
Malicious individual(s) are continuing to use premium Google placement to entice victims into placing orders that require advanced payment for goods which the perpetrators do not intend to ship. To date, ERAI has recorded losses totaling in excess of $300,000.00 and has notified appropriate law enforcement agencies. Organizations around the world and from various industry sectors have been, and continue to be, targets.
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09/11/2019
This Public Service Announcement is an update and companion piece to Business Email Compromise PSA 1-071218-PSA posted on www.ic3.gov. This PSA includes new Internet Crime Complaint Center complaint information and updated statistics from October 2013 to July 2019.
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Mary Dunham
09/06/2019
While there are dangers from untrained staff, substandard and counterfeit parts, and supply chain disruptions, arguably the most dangerous land mine is an untrustworthy supplier. An organization depends on its suppliers to deliver products on time, at the right price, and in compliance with its quality standards. Choosing the wrong supplier can lead to shipping delays, product returns and poor quality, all of which result in lost time and profit. An organization’s supplier selection impacts an organization as a whole.
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Kristal Snider
08/22/2019
InterCEPT has developed two new certification programs designed for individual students in the electronics industry who want to take an extra step to further their counterfeit mitigation knowledge. Counterfeit techniques and, accordingly, detection methods and avoidance best practices are constantly changing and evolving. InterCEPT Certification programs are designed to verify an individual’s technical knowledge and skills and provide recognition to the individual’s commitment to quality.
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Kristal Snider
08/02/2019
On May 30, 2019, Rogelio Vasquez, aka “James Harrison”, owner of PRB Logics Corporation, was sentenced to 46 months in a federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking in counterfeit military goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and wire fraud.
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Anne-Liese Heinichen
05/31/2019
Rogelio Vasquez, aka “James Harrison”, owner of PRB Logics Corporation, has been sentenced to 46 months in a federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking in counterfeit military goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and wire fraud. In addition, Vasquez was ordered to pay $144,000 to the US Government in restitution fees.
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Kristal Snider
05/20/2019
This message is a warning to any organization involved in the purchase of electronic components. A man by the name of Nick Martin has created, and/or is affiliated with, numerous companies and websites that fraudulently advertise to have hundreds of thousands of line items of inventory in stock or on consignment when, in fact, the parts are not in stock and consignment agreements appear highly unlikely. It is more likely that, upon receipt of a request for quote, Martin is sourcing untraceable product in the open market, including the Chinese open market. Martin and his co-conspirators require payment in advance but have reportedly either failed to ship the ordered product and failed to refund monies paid in advance, have shipped the incorrect quantity, or have shipped nonconforming parts.
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Anne-Liese Heinichen
05/02/2019
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Harrison Ford’s character is forced by a Nazi cooperator to find the Holy Grail to save his father from certain death. From a table replete with various different chalices, the evil Nazi incorrectly chooses the most ornate one and subsequently dies. The Crusader knight that has been guarding the Grail admonishes, “he chose poorly”. Indiana Jones picks the simple wooden chalice by intuitively guessing it would be the cup of a carpenter (Jesus) and saves the day. The Crusader knight confirms his choice with, “you have chosen wisely”. Unfortunately, selecting a supplier for your organization is not as cut and dry as in the movies. Recent examples reported by ERAI highlight extra steps that you should take prior to adding a company to your AVL.
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Anne-Liese Heinichen
03/05/2019
A new class has been added to InterCEPT’s suite of counterfeit inspection and testing of electronic parts study course. TM-04 provides an in-depth discussion of surface testing associated with detecting counterfeit electronic parts. It references both the IDEA 1010B standard and SAE AS6171 requirements for surface inspection. The class includes video footage and images from a test lab to help the student understand how surface testing is performed. Device images are reviewed so that the student can recognize the criteria for acceptance and rejection.
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