NC AG Jeff Jackson cracks down on WeChat app being used for money launders, fentanyl trafficking
TV SPECTRUM AND THE WRAL APP
ON YOUR TV OR STREAMING DEVICE.
SOCIAL MEDIA APPS CAN BE USED
FOR MORE THAN JUST STAYING IN
TOUCH. THERE WAS A NEW WARNING
FROM NORTH CAROLINA'S ATTORNEY
GENERAL ABOUT AN APP CALLED
WE CHAT AG. JEFF JACKSON SAYS
THE APP IS ASSISTING IN
TRAFFICKING. FENTANYL WRAL'S
CHELSEA DONOVAN EXPLAINS WHAT
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS
POPULAR APP.
>> PARENTS, IF YOU HAVE A FEW
MINUTES TONIGHT, CHECK YOUR
CHILD'S PHONE AND SEE IF THEY
HAVE THE APP. WE CHAT. IT IS
THE NUMBER 2 TEXTING APP AND
THE ENTIRE WORLD. AND AS WE
LEARNED TODAY, IT'S A HOT BED
FOR CRIME.
>> YOU ARE NOW A CORE PART OF
THE BUSINESS MODEL THAT IS
KILLING THOUSANDS
OF AMERICANS.
>> UP A STRONG VIDEO MESSAGE
FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF
JACKSON TO WE CHAT A CHINESE
OWN MESSAGING IN PAYMENT
PLATFORM. WE CHAT HAS BEEN USED
BY CRIMINALS. ACCORDING TO
JACKSON, FOR MONEY LAUNDERING
AND FENTANYL TRAFFICKING IN
THE U.S. YOU NEED TO SHOW US
THE EXACT STEPS THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO TAKE TO STOP THIS
BECAUSE
>> IF YOU ARE KNOWINGLY OR
NEGLIGENTLY FACILITATING MONEY
LAUNDERING.
>> THAT'S A CRIME. JACKSON IS
LEADING A MULTISTATE COALITION
OF ATTORNEY GENERALS TARGETING
WE CHAT. HE SAID HE'S GIVING
THE PLATFORM THE NEXT 30 DAYS
TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC ANSWERS
ABOUT ITS PLANS. I HAVE NOT
HEARD OF THAT APPLICATION AS A
MOTHER OF A YOUNG DAUGHTER THAT
WORRIES ME.
>> KNOWING THIS IS HAPPENING
ON SOCIAL MEDIA APPS, TERRIFIED
RALEIGH MOM, LAURA NEWSOM.
I ALREADY HAVE TO SAFEGUARD HER
ON SOCIAL MEDIA. NOW THIS IS
JUST ANOTHER FACET OF
SAFEGUARDING THAT I'M GONNA
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. THAT
WORRIES ME. CRIMINAL NETWORKS
CAN USE THIS TO COORDINATE
OPERATIONS WITHOUT BEING EASILY
DETECTED. WE CHECKED USES
ENCRYPTED MESSAGING, WHICH
MEANS IT'S HARD FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO FIND IN
REAL-TIME. THIS DOES JUST GIVES
CRIMINALS A SAFE, HAVE BEEN TO
OPERATE ACROSS BORDERS WHILE
WAITING U.S. BASED MONITORING
TOOLS. WE CHAT AS WELL AS
TIKTOK HAS ALREADY BEEN BANNED
ON STATE GOVERNMENT ISSUED CELL
PHONES THAT IT WAS AN ORDER
THAT WAS SIGNED IN.
>> BY GOVERNOR COOPER CHELSEA
DONOVAN WRAL. NEWS CRIMINALS
WILL FIND CONSUMERS ONE WAY
OR ANOTHER. SO A RECENT 2024
FEDERAL INDICTMENT IN SOUTH
CAROLINA CHARGED 3 DEFENDANTS
WITH USING WE CHAT.
>> IT SAID THEY COMMUNICATED IN
ORDER TO LAUNDER PROCEEDS FROM