Inside the Collin County sheriff's cyber unit targeting a global fraud ring

The Collin County Sheriff's Office has been making news recently with its investigation into an international financial fraud network targeting senior citizens. 

Sheriff's departments in Texas are typically responsible for running jails, serving warrants, and patrolling unincorporated areas. 

But Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner is pushing his agency deeper into crimes he believes go too often unaddressed.

Rare access to a high‑security lab

Skinner gave CBS News Texas the first public look inside the most highly protected room in the Collin County Sheriff's Office in McKinney. 

Inside, advanced computer servers are decrypting hard drives and phones and tracking IP addresses tied to the fraud network.

"So I have investigators here that were professionals in the computing world, before they became law enforcement officers," Skinner said. "And, they're very good at what they do."

Skinner has made acquiring cyber tools a cornerstone of his administration since taking office in 2017. He said those tools have been essential in connecting suspects and jewelry stores accused of defrauding hundreds of seniors by allegedly deceiving them into becoming victims of what's known as the gold bar scam.

A sprawling, multistate investigation

"This is just this is a massive, criminal enterprise. And, they have many components to it," he said. "We have people that have lost everything. We have people that have lost over $1 million."

The investigation began more than a year ago and has stretched from Irving and Frisco to Georgia and Florida. The digital forensics room is analyzing evidence to identify criminals who hide behind burner phones and fake email accounts.

So far, 19 people have been arrested. Three jewelry stores suspected of melting down and reselling fraudulently obtained gold have been shut down.

Digital forensics filling a gap in policing

Criminal cases involving digital evidence require specialized work that Skinner says many law enforcement agencies don't have the time or resources to take on.

"I've been the sheriff here for 10 years, and everybody that works with me understands, among the top rules that we have is we always look to protect our children and our senior citizens," Skinner said.

So when seniors are ripped off online, or predators engage in child exploitation, Skinner says Collin County has the technology to track down entire criminal networks.

"It's like a snowball as it rolls. Just gets bigger and bigger. And I'll tell you, we're committed to turn over every stone," he said.