CIA collects massive amounts of data surrounding money transfers using the Patriot Act

  • New reports reveal the CIA has been storing and collecting information from wire transfer tracking
  • Not limited to domestic wire transfers but also international money moves
  • Comes after it became clear the CIA was paying AT&T for phone records
  • Surveillance programs under investigation after Edward Snowden leaked documents proving the NSA was tracking phone and email records

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 19:45 EST, 15 November 2013 | UPDATED: 20:25 EST, 15 November 2013


It has been revealed that the CIA has been tracking money transfers made through wiring services like Western Union, making it the latest way in which the government is secretly collecting data on its citizens.

The New York Times reveals that the Central Intelligence Agency has been using a provision under the Patriot Act to justify their collection of Americans transferring money to potential terrorists both inside and outside of the United States.

Officials with knowledge of the existing situation say that the laws in place require a connection to a terrorist before being granted permission to see any information about any Americans involved in the transfer.

Follow the money: The CIA has been revealed to track wire transfers domestically and internationally when connected to possible terror suspects

Follow the money: The CIA has been revealed to track wire transfers domestically and internationally when connected to possible terror suspects

They also stipulated that all information gathered under the provision has to be completely destroyed within a certain number of years.

This is the latest way in which personal information is being collected by government agencies, as earlier initiatives included CIA programs with wireless carriers like AT&T and the NSA's work that was revealed following the Edward Snowden document leak.  An unidentified intelligence official told The Times that there is at least one other way that the government has been tracking Americans' actions that has yet to be revealed.

'The intelligence community collects bulk data in a number of different ways under multiple authorities,' the source told the paper.

 

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All of the officials that spoke to The Times did so under the condition of anonymity, with some refusing to say whether or not the money transfer oversight is in effect, but then giving information about how it would be carried out if it were.

CIA spokesman Dean Boyd kept his response vague and did not specifically comment about the reports of money transfer tracking.

'The C.I.A. protects the nation and upholds the privacy rights of Americans by ensuring that its intelligence collection activities are focused on acquiring foreign intelligence and counterintelligence in accordance with U.S. laws,' he said.

Another data drive: The CIA (pictured) has been revealed to track wire transfers and cell phone data, and that is in addition to the NSA programs tracking other phone calls and internet searches

Another data drive: The CIA (pictured) has been revealed to track wire transfers and cell phone data, and that is in addition to the NSA programs tracking other phone calls and internet searches

This latest revelation comes just one week after The New York Times revealed that the CIA was paying AT&T $10million per year for phone records to assist overseas counter-terrorism investigations.

This finding differed from previous records-gathering programs which were pursued under legal threats; the payment shows that the phone company profited by giving the government the information they wanted.

Under the AT&T arrangement, the CIA supplies phone numbers of overseas terrorism suspects and AT&T searches its database to provide call records that may help identify foreign associates, the paper said.

Most of the call logs provided by AT&T involve foreign-to-foreign calls, the paper said.

Paying customers: The CIA pays AT&T $10million to hand over information about potential terrorists, and the financial deal proves that the partnership between the phone company and the agency is not forced

Paying customers: The CIA pays AT&T; $10million to hand over information about potential terrorists, and the financial deal proves that the partnership between the phone company and the agency is not forced

AT&T does not disclose the identity of the Americans calling from the United States, and masks their phone numbers when it produces the records, the paper said, quoting the officials.

That does little to block the CIA from finding out the Americans involved, however, as it just means that they have to jump through some bureaucratic hoops first.

The CIA is tasked with handling security threats abroad and does not have the rights to obtain certain information about domestic citizens- which is left for the FBI.

To get the information that AT&T obstructs, The Times says that the CIA asks the FBI to order an administrative subpoena to AT&T, forcing the company to hand over the personal data of the phone number in question. The FBI then shares that information with the CIA.

Comments (3)

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To the CIA my bank account is looking poorly, could you please top it up. Many thanks xx

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Many countries have doing this for years.They already know how many teeth I have left so I am on their wanted list. zzz!

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Imagine that. The Obama administration wants to know how much money we have. No doubt they will just start seizing bank accounts to pay for social justice soon enough.

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