We can only hope the event was caught on tape, and appears on YouTube or “America’s Dumbest Criminals”, soon. I’m sure the parents are beaming with joy.

It doesn’t appear to be a serious attempt as the teenagers cried out, “We will be famous now” as they were carted off to juvenile hall.  I doubt the judge presiding over the case will take this attempt at 15 minutes of fame lightly.

The article states that a standard (and well known) check for transactions over $10k found something fishy was going on. The source however, was not Governor Spitzer’s account but, was the account(s) of the prostitution ring itself.

Indeed most financial felonies in modern times are caught by computers. IRS audits are triggered by parameters on computer systems. Unsophisticated criminal enterprises such as those who don’t employ money laundering steps are easily caught.
ZDnet’s article is more a statement of the obvious than it is a bombshell. If it weren’t for a philandering politician it wouldn’t even be news.

Analysts are calling the surge in incarceration as a result of “tougher” sentences and the scaling back of probation and parole. But, I believe at least part of the surge is a result of technology used in crime fighting efforts.

There are a number of new crimes that have been occurring since the Internet hit big in the 1990’s, including child pornography, online stalking and bullying, phishing, spamming, to name a few. Given the traceability of Internet crimes, many unsophisticated criminals are leading law enforcement right to their doorstep.

The Internet has also increased access to information with such details as how to make bombs, or creating a batch of meth. Which isn’t to say that easy access to information is overall a bad thing - it’s not.

Meanwhile, forensic technology innovations such as DNA analysis have been advancing crime solving rates which means more people are getting caught.  The massive increase in video surveillance and lower costs of video technology have also been catching the bad guys.

However, I believe that the increase in prison population is not something criminal justice professionals or our government should be proud of. There are many glaring problems which have also contributed to increase in prison population.

The top problem is that since the closure of many state mental health institutions in the 1980’s, many people with mental health problems have resurfaced in correctional institutions. The majority of correctional facilities are unable to address or treat those with mental health problems.

The lack of available health care, housing, and education for low income individuals is also a problem. Some offenders have committed crimes either to survive or to intentionally enter correctional facilities for housing, food, and health care.

Also, consider that the majority of those who are in correctional institutions are there because of drug related offenses. In the U.S. we consider drug addiction a mental health and medical problem while at the same time criminalizing drug use. This has a major impact on the overall increase in prison population. Other countries see the drug addition problem strictly as a mental health and medical issue and provide treatment without incarceration.

Along side of these problems there has been a general “get tough on criminals” attitude that has swept the nation. Common statutory offenses like skipping out on child support payments is landing more and more people in jail as the public has elected and empowered judges to be more tough.
The goal of the criminal justice and correctional systems should always be rehabilitate and give offenders the tools to live a normal life while giving the safety of the public and victims of crime priority.

Diagnostic Menu:

##33284#

Field Service Code =  040793

Navigation using the left and right softkeys. Menus using the up and down keypad. (don’t change any options or you may brick your phone)

RTN Menu:
##786#

Has information about the phone such as IMEI, SIM#, activation date, etc.

##889#

TTY, TTY options for hard of hearing TTY teletype devices.

MSL (Master Subsidy Lock) for initial phone programming.
##xxxxxx# based on your IMEI, available from customer service.

PCS Vision Options
##3282#

There are several techniques cunning criminals may try to mask cell phone usage including using disposable cell phones, or spoofing caller ID. Ultimately any evasion technique will not erase the technological footprints left at cell towers, switching offices, and the main telco office.

Criminal computer users have been lullabied into a false sense of security by software products guaranteed to “erase evidence” and “hide website history” as every point in between each host can and will log activity. Routers, firewalls, proxy servers, all can track criminal activity. Some computer users simply “think” the Internet is just too big for their activities to be monitored.

Hackers often use compromised systems, open wifi, or public access locations to launch attacks, SPAM, or illegal activity, sometimes hiding out 10 systems deep. Meanwhile, packets containing their unique hardware identifiers are giving them up at the source of origination. Hackers often try to erase their tracks - but, with so many potential points for obtaining evidence, it’s just not possible.

Spoofing, evading, sneaking, whatever the technique - there is a way to trace it. Sometimes it make take a variety of forensic evidence including computer forensics, and traditional methods like fingerprinting or reviewing security videos to catch the criminal. Law enforcement agencies across the world are catching dumbfounded criminals who think they covered their tracks or are too smart to get caught.

beep beep, it’s 5:30 AM, you look at your phone and see “-OK here’s a little help, 3 girls to chat with: GOLDIE, MENJFLY, KARINA22. Send her nickname + ur message to 44123, or txt MATCH for more.” At first glance it looks like maybe someone put the wrong number in, nah, It’s freaking SPAM on your cell phone and since you didn’t pay for the $15/month “unlimited texting plan” you just paid 10 cents for it.

The sad part about it, is as a consumer there isn’t much you can do about it other than complain to your cell provider and getting a credit on your statement. Most wireless providers will also happily disable text messaging on your phone. Which isn’t such a great idea if someone you know wants to text message you.

Wireless providers are scrambling to stop this problem, but in the end - just as with email - there will be no way to completely eliminate the problem.

Here’s why the problem is going to get worse:

• More and more people are using text messaging making it more attractive to use for ads.
• Legitimate businesses are using text messaging for marketing (fast food joints, reality TV shows, etc.)
• Disposable phones and getting cheaper, spammers can use these phones until they get cut off, then just go out an buy a new one.
• Email can be converted into text messages, and new portals on the Internet make it easy to send messages in batches.
• Wireless providers have partnerships for premium text messaging services similar to how 1-900 phone numbers work.

How Wireless Providers Stop SPAMers:

• Cutting off customers with large amounts of outgoing text messages. (Human fingers aren’t fast enough to send millions of messages).
• Identifying certain keywords used in SPAM.
• Blocking problematic SMS gateways, and internet IP addresses.

However, many wireless providers are a part of the problem. Some providers willingly send out marketing text messages for “partners” and for their own promotions. As consumers we need to push for legislation and regulation (FCC) to stop or limit this practice. Along with a DO NOT CALL registry we need a DO NOT TEXT registry. Wireless providers should also provide a method for the consumer to view the true point of origin for any text message.

In the meantime here is what you can do to help prevent text messaging SPAM:

• Don’t post your wireless phone number on the Internet.
• Port in your phone number from a landline phone, which helps to stop SPAMers from hitting “blocks” of wireless phone numbers.
• Don’t respond to strange text messages.
• Don’t give your wireless phone number up to enter contests or other gimmicks.
• Report SPAM text messages to your wireless provider.

The problem with “cyber bullying” is that online harassment is often a stepping stone to more serious crimes such as trespassing, stalking, assault, hate crimes, and even homicides. Cyber-bullies think the Internet is an anonymous safe ground and a good place to start victimizing.

My recommendation to local law enforcement agencies is:

1. Take cyber-bullying and online harassment complaints seriously.
2. Take a comprehensive report of each incident. Ask the complainant to print the email, chat log, or website and attach it to the report.
3. Contact the District Attorney and find out what the laws are regarding the incident.
4. INVESTIGATE. Contact your department’s computer forensics department or state agency.
5. Take ownership of the complaint.

If you are the victim of cyber-bullying or harassment:

1. Print out any evidence including chat logs, website comments, or email. If you are printing the email include the “headers” or “source”. Consult your email provider for details.
2. Call the local law enforcement agency where the suspected cyber-bully lives. Ask to file a complaint. Don’t take “no”, “we can’t do anything”, or “not our problem” for an answer. Ask how the complaint will be investigated and what agencies will be involved.
3. Contact a police supervisor if no investigation takes place.
4. Call the local district attorney and ask how to file an order of protection.

Agencies that help victims:

CyberAngels: http://www.cyberangels.org/ask.php
Working to Halt Online Abuse: http://www.haltabuse.org/
Victims of Crime Resource Center: 1-800-VICTIMS
Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE

Prepaid wireless has become the mainstay of drug dealers, prostitutes, and various other criminals.  However, the heyday of hiding behind prepaid wireless is ending thanks to a coordinated effort between the FCC and wireless phone providers and an embedded microchip.

All newly manufactured wireless phones (even prepaid) are required to be E911 compatible. In order to achieve this capability they have an embedded microchip that is capable of determining and transmitting the users location using a method called triangulation. Some call this the “GPS” chip and it’s getting increasingly difficult to purchase and activate old cell phones that do not have the chip.

E911 is a tremendous enhancement for personal safety, and it’s also a major dent to criminal enterprises. The tool of the trade that shady thugs like drug dealers rely on is leading police right to their doorstep.

Sprint/Nextel’s Boost Mobile Prepaid Wireless is the honeypot because it’s marketing campaigns and technical capabilities. Boost mobile appeals to the inner-city crowd and has also been appealing to the criminal elements of inner-city life. It’s ironic too, since the Nextel service which Boost operates on - is the number one provider of wireless services for law enforcement.

Chirp. Chirp. Your busted.

What I’m talking about here, is Internet fraud and phishing attacks, a problem that has been largely ignored by the resource strapped U.S. government. It’s a problem that looks like a bunch of random thugs out to bilk money and steal the identities of unsuspecting Internet users. In reality it’s a coordinated foreign effort to bankrupt America.

American email in-boxes are stuffed full of phishing attempts asking users to verify their account details. Once the unsuspecting user divulges their banking information, the information is sold on the International black market. Federally insured deposit accounts are robbed and the U.S. government ends up footing the bill.

It’s a problem that is growing exponentially, and the result could result in distrust of American financial institutions, a drain on the treasury, and devastation that hasn’t been seen since the great depression. The goal of the 9/11 attacks was the same.

So who’s behind it? These cyber-terrorists sometimes hide behind compromised systems in Asia, and Europe or attack directly from countries such as Nigeria, where known terrorist cells operate. Considence?

The U.S. government is spending an astonishing amount of money and resources to knock on cave doors in Afghanistan and for the Iraq conflict and war on drugs in South America. But, very little has been done to root out cyber-terrorists. When Internet fraud and phishing crimes get reported to the government the response is usually a shrug and an explanation that there is really nothing that can be done since the crime originated from outside U.S. borders.

The war against cyber-terrorism can be won. The U.S. government needs to address this threat with as much vigor as the traditional war on terrorism. We need to employ an effort on the home front to quickly take down phishing websites by using brute force - to disable them. We need covert operations in these rouge countries to track down and prosecute.

Who let the cat out of the bag? It all started innocently enough with the release to the open source Asterisk Voice over IP (VoIP) PBX software for Linux based operating systems. Asterisk is the powerful backbone to many popular VOIP solutions. Asterisk has a feature which allows the custom configuration of the phone number which is displayed on Caller ID. After all the caller ID is transmitted from the origination phone system so why not make that a customizable feature? This helps companies who have many outgoing phone lines display one unified number in which callers can return a phone call. Then along came a company called Spoof Card which uses this technology in an interesting way. Spoof Card allows a user to call a phone number (virtual calling card) and then input the phone number they wish to call and also input the phone number they wish to have appear on the caller ID, the call then connects.

Spoof Card’s market niche seems to be for prank calling and practical jokes. It even has a feature which allows you to disguise your voice. There have been reports of numerous illegal activities using spoof card including voice mail tampering (since some voice mail systems recognize administrative users by their Caller ID) and harassment.

Spoof Card makes Caller ID spoofing obtainable to the average person, and there soon could become an epidemic of illegal activities involving fraud, creative spoofers could pretend to be a bank, a collection agency, or a police officer, and fraudulently steal your money or identify. The call could even originate from a correctional institution pay phone and the victim would be none the wiser.

A warning to would-be criminals. Using Spoof Card or other means of spoofing Caller ID info can be traced. Phone companies are capable of tracing calls to their real source.

Here is how you can protect yourself against Caller ID spoofing:

1. Make sure your voice mail system *always* prompts for a password. Call your phone or wireless carrier to find out how to do this.

2. Never give out credit card or checking account information to someone calling you. If you want to make a payment over the phone for a service or to a collection agency, make sure you call them. To be even safer make sure you make payments over the Internet on an encrypted website, in person, or using the mail.
3. Never give out personal information over the phone to someone calling you. If a person identifies themselves as from a government agency or a police officer, call that agency and verify their credentials.

4. Don’t believe your Caller ID. It’s a useful tool but, it’s not foolproof.