Chasing Digital Money: P2P Money Apps & Online Banks

Why Investigate Digital Money?

Chasing digital money is crucial for modern investigations because criminals use peer-to-peer payment apps like CashApp, Venmo, and Apple Pay, along with online banks, to hide profits from drug sales, trafficking, online scams, “sextortion” schemes, and human trafficking.

By following these transactions and learning how to effectively investigate “digital” money, law enforcement can identify hidden assets, connect suspects, tell a story that victims may not be willing to share, and ultimately seize funds to disrupt these criminal networks and return money to victims.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course is offered as a 4 hour conference course, or an 8 hour 1-day course. This course is tailored to be applicable to investigators assigned to work any type of investigation involving digital money, including: Financial Crimes, Fraud, Sexual Exploitation of Minors, Human Trafficking, Burglary, Robbery, Drug / Gun Trafficking, and more.

Students will learn about various P2P payment applications such as CashApp, Venmo and Apple Pay, and how to effectively write legal process to them. Students will learn how these platforms are used by criminals to launder illicitly obtained money, and the types of records these providers maintain. Students will review real P2P application data productions from CashApp and Venmo. The class will then transition to modern money laundering tactics, including identity theft and the use of online banks to secrete money from investigators. The class will end with information on how to effectively freeze and seize money from P2P payment applications and online banks.

This class is heavily focused on “simplifying” what many investigators see as complicated financial investigations. No significant forensic accounting or financial experts are required to follow the trail or money. Students will learn tactics, strategies, resources and tools at their disposal to succeed with these investigations.