NCJ Number
174503
Journal
Security Management Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1998 Pages: 73-79
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines how right-wing radicals in the United States are using financial guerrilla tactics to attack the government indirectly.
Abstract
According to the FBI, major US financial institutions believe that more than half of all frauds to which they have fallen victim can be attributed to professional and organized group efforts, some for the money and others to further philosophical agendas. Groups with ideological goals tend to be either religiously based or politically oriented. Religious groups include the Christian Identity movement and offshoots such as Aryan Nations, and Phineas Priests, all with anti-Semitic, anti-government agendas. Politically driven organizations that believe the government threatens their freedoms include the Montana Freemen and Republic of Texas. The weapons of choice among many domestic extremists are false liens, counterfeit money orders, bogus checks and other fake financial instruments. Anti-government factions have also set up common-law courts to þtryþ government agents, bankers and others for purported crimes, organized anti-tax protests, and created phony Internet banks.