Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Tuesday that her office has established a partnership with the U.S. Secret Service and in-state law enforcement agencies to investigate financial crimes that occur online.

A Cyberfraud Task Force is based in the attorney general's office in Jackson.

“We're going to go after these criminals,” Fitch said during a news conference. “We have the ability to investigate these cybercrimes, to prosecute these cybercriminals.”

She said the task force intends to create a “blanket of protection” for people and businesses targeted by online crimes.

Patrick Davis, special agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Birmingham, Alabama, said during the news conference that the Secret Service has already established other cybercrime task forces around the U.S.

Davis said the groups investigate wire fraud, ransomware, business email compromises and crimes involving crypto currencies.

The Mississippi attorney general's office, for years, has been investigating online crimes that include exploitation of children. Officials said the new partnership with the Secret Service includes new equipment to expand into the investigation of crimes that affect businesses and academic institutions and others.