Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit

The Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud (MGC) Unit investigates and prosecutes offenses involving fraud and manipulation that harm U.S. markets and investors, schemes to defraud government benefit programs, evade tariffs, and/or to procure government contracts through fraudulent means, and complex consumer and investment frauds targeted at Americans.  

Protecting Financial Markets and U.S. Investors

The MGC Unit works to protect American investors by combatting fraud occurring in or affecting U.S. financial markets. The MGC Unit’s investigation and prosecution of market-based fraud and manipulation focuses primarily on U.S. securities and commodities markets, including but not limited to insider trading, “pump and dumps,” spoofing, wash trading, benchmark price manipulation, cross-market manipulation, public issuer accounting fraud, and disclosure-based securities fraud.  One area of focus is prosecuting schemes that involve the use of foreign issuers listed on U.S. exchanges – including variable interest entities (VIEs) – that are used to facilitate “ramp and dumps” and other market manipulation targeting American investors.  Much of the Unit’s work in the market manipulation arena is done in parallel with regulatory partners at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), among others. 

Combatting Fraud on the Government

The MGC Unit prosecutes cases that involve large-scale trade and customs fraud, including individuals and companies who orchestrate criminal schemes to circumvent tariff and trade rules and regulations designed to protect American consumers and businesses.  In connection with these efforts to combat trade fraud, the MGC Unit is part of the Department’s cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force.

The MGC Unit also protects the public fisc by pursuing federal procurement and program fraud offenses.  The Unit prosecutes individuals and companies that perpetrate procurement fraud schemes involving the delivery of defective products and services, bribery of U.S. officials, defective pricing, and other fraud schemes connected to the award or performance of government contracts.   The MGC Unit has also led initiatives that bring to justice individuals and companies who have exploited taxpayer-funded programs.  The Unit pursues schemes designed to defraud government program benefits, such as unemployment insurance and military veterans’ benefits, and to fraudulently obtain federal funds, such as disaster and pandemic relief funds.    

Protecting American Consumers

In addition, the MGC Unit investigates and prosecutes complex consumer and investment fraud schemes, including those orchestrated by transnational criminal organizations.  These schemes to defraud Americans often target vulnerable or elderly citizens through unlawful pyramid or Ponzi investor networks, international telemarketing schemes, foreign scam centers, and other cyber-enabled crimes.  The Unit also pursues criminal actors that exploit emerging technologies to facilitate fraud and cause widespread harm to the American public.  In this space, the MGC Unit works with domestic and foreign law enforcement partners to identify and combat the biggest fraud threats facing U.S. consumers. 

Contact the Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit

By Mail
Correspondence may be sent to:
Fraud Section, Criminal Division
U.S. Department of Justice
ATTN: Chief, Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit 
950 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530