Charitable Fundraising for Violent Extremism
"Threat actors mainly use virtual currency donations to fund their propaganda and recruitment efforts.""[They have also resorted to] drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and robberies to fund ... operations.""There was no indication in the reporting that the family members [who help fund lone extremists] were aware that the funds would be used for violent action."FINTRAC, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada bulletin
Canada's federal financial intelligence centre has issued a warning that violent extremists who drive propaganda and recruitment for groups motivated by racial hatred are turning increasingly to virtual currencies to maximize their fundraising. This new move arrives at a time when social media and crowdfunding platforms make an effort to block extremist promotions of their vicious, volatile, vitriolic ideas to raise operating funds to further their agendas.
It is FINTRAC's mission to identify cash linked to terrorism and money laundering through the burdensome sifting through of millions of bits of information culled from banks, insurance companies, securities dealers, money service enterprises, real estate brokers, casinos and other types of businesses that lend themselves through their types of operation and financial transfers to being infiltrated and channeling funds in support of criminal activities.
Targets of ideologically driven violence are identified through acts of arson, assault and homicide aimed to bring grave harm and to terrorize people of the Jewish and Islamic faiths, people of colour, women, Indigenous Peoples, and members of the LGBTQ2 communities; in short traditionally socially vulnerable targets.
The Internet is commonly used by individuals and groups for the purpose of perpetuating racist and misogynistic tropes through social media sites feeding into broader narratives associated with conspiracy theories along with anti-government movements, according to the FINTRAC bulletin, recently released.
Extremists have taken to encouraging their followers to forward funding via mail, cheque or money order, with the more recent addition of virtual currencies for fundraising, in response to increased restrictions through online platforms. Most of the suspicious financial transactions owing to ideologically motivated extremism centere around Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, according to the centre's analysis.
Funds have been raised through merchandise sales, events such as ideologically-spiked addresses to receptive audiences, crowdfunding, concerts, and membership fees along with donations, internationally in support of these ideologically motivated extremist groups. The funding is utilized in the recruitment of new memberships, in day-to-day actions and to carry out promotional devices such as ideology-specific videos meant for a target audience.
Funds are additionally and crucially allocated toward organizing marches and other such public events, in the maintenance of websites, in payment of legal fees of those arrested for involvement in these movements, in acquiring weapons, and in establishing safe houses. There is also a tendency to fund international extremist networks by people not necessarily holding memberships in these organized groups but expressing sympathy for their violent aspirations.
Labels: Extremist Groups, FINTRAC, Fundraising, Intimidation, Slander, Threats, Violence, Vulnerable Targets
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, June 17, 2021
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