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New Online Scam: Fraudsters Pose as Police Officers to Extort Money



Cyber fraudsters have developed a new method to deceive unsuspecting individuals by posing as police officers and claiming that a relative has been arrested in a narcotics case. They demand a bribe to drop the charges, preying on the victims' fear and urgency to help their loved ones.

This tactic is a variation of the well-known courier scam, where fraudsters call individuals, claiming that a package in their name containing narcotics was intercepted by customs officials. They then demand money to resolve the issue. The new approach involves impersonating police officers and alleging that a family member has been detained for drug-related offences.

Recent Incidents Highlight the Threat

Several cases of this scam have been reported recently. On Wednesday, the North Division Cyber Crime Police registered a case against an unidentified person who, posing as a Delhi police officer, extorted ₹7,000 from a private firm employee named Srinivas Nageshwara Rao. The fraudster claimed Rao’s daughter was arrested for drug consumption and was being taken to Delhi. The scammer promised to drop the charges if Rao paid ₹15,000. Rao transferred ₹7,000 online but later grew suspicious and confirmed with his daughter that she was safe at college.

Another victim, an 18-year-old student, was swindled out of ₹65,000. The fraudster, posing as a police officer, told her that her father had been arrested for drug peddling and demanded money to release him and drop the charges. The student transferred the money but later realised she had been scammed.

In a similar case, a software engineer from Kasavanahalli, Utkarsh Srivatsastav, reported to the Bellandur police that he was cheated out of ₹40,000. The scammer, pretending to be a police officer, claimed that Srivatsastav's son was involved in illegal activities and would be arrested unless a bribe was paid. Srivatsastav transferred the money online before discovering the fraud.

Police Action and Legal Measures

Based on these complaints, the police have charged the fraudsters under Section 66C (identity theft) of the IT Act, 2000, and are conducting further investigations. Authorities are urging the public to be vigilant and sceptical of unsolicited calls demanding money, especially those involving legal or police matters.

Protecting Yourself from Scams

To avoid falling victim to such scams, individuals should:

1. Verify the identity of the caller by contacting the relevant authorities directly.

2. Never transfer money based on a phone call alone.

3. Report suspicious calls to the police immediately.

By staying informed and cautious, the public can protect themselves from these deceptive tactics and help authorities catch the perpetrators.


Digital Espionage: The Dark Side of Bluetooth Tracking and Police Surveillance

 


Using a Bluetooth device, a robotics hacker has created a service that allows citizens to monitor police activity in real-time, using technology. His service enables people to follow police activity using the information and data that law enforcement officers give them, according to the hacker. 

Almost all smartphones, tablets, and laptops come with Bluetooth technology integrated into them, which is an incredibly useful wireless technology. In addition to transferring files, playing audio wirelessly, and acquiring health data from wearable trackers, users can use it for many other purposes. 

Bluetooth is also being targeted as a means of breaking into users' devices and stealing the information they have on them, similar to WiFi. The fact that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are so useful makes the majority of people keep them active continuously on their devices. 

As a consequence, this can make them potentially vulnerable to bluebugging, which is a technique that uses Bluetooth technology to attack their devices remotely. There is a way for hackers to spy on police officers by hacking their systems. 

A monitoring system that uses Bluetooth signals emitted by firearms and cameras carried by law enforcement officers can be used to monitor the activities of the officers. A Bluetooth-enabled device could be used to avoid police mistakes, as stated by the duo behind a tool that detects signals. 

There is a possibility of tracking most police activities using Bluetooth technology within the police department. Alan Meekins, the founder of RFParty, a Bluetooth startup that has been integrating with the RFParty Bluetooth platform, informed Engadget that police officers are likely to leak their location via Bluetooth signals emitted by their devices. 

Using Bluetooth technology, a hacker, whose name is Nullagent, has developed a service where individuals can monitor police activity on their smartphones. Nullagent stated at the Def Con conference that Axon, one of the biggest suppliers of law enforcement equipment, uses Bluetooth as a means of connecting its police equipment to its computers. 

If citizens have access to Bluetooth data, they could gain valuable insights into police conduct and could compel law enforcement to release video footage that was taken from body cameras. However, there are concerns that this data may be misused by cybercriminals to gain information for fraudulent purposes. 

Hackers can hack users' devices and trick their devices into connecting to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks controlled by cybercriminals. This will allow them to bombard users' devices with malware, spy on their activities and even steal their data from their text messages and apps (when their phone is connected to those networks). 

It is common for Bluetooth devices to have a 64-bit identifier called a MAC address, which is the unique identifier that identifies them from each other. A device's address often contains an Organizational Unique Identifier (OUI), which serves as a way to identify where the address came from. 

Axon is a company best known for its Tasers, and Meekins and his co-founder Roger “RekcahDam” Hicks were drawn to Axon after researching the Internet-connected devices that were being used by many police departments. In the present day, police equipment is equipped with Bluetooth-enabled technology, including Tasers, body cameras, and laptops in vehicles (often made by Axon). 

It was found by simply reading through the company documentation that they could find the OUI for the holsters of some police officers. They can even send a Bluetooth ping when the gun is unholstered. Police violence should be combated In the Bluetooth RF Party project, the duo aims to contribute to the fight against police violence and contribute to it. 

As an agent’s body camera is used to record a video, it is possible to detect that this video was recorded by the agent’s body camera by analyzing the Bluetooth signals emitted by the device. In theory, this information could force the police to provide footage that is compromised. It is possible to use the RFParty Bluetooth application, which can be accessed from the Google Play Store, to gather information on the event, sometimes crucial, and use that information to corroborate or deny the testimony provided. 

This can be done by analyzing Bluetooth signals and determining if a Taser or electric gun was used. Using Bluetooth signals, people can easily determine all of this information. There are several testimonials from users of the app on X that have already used these features to track law enforcement in their area. Even though the RFParty application itself is not directed towards spying on police, a few users have already used it to do so. 

How can you ensure that you remain safe?

There have been some guidelines given by the Dorset Police to residents of Bournemouth, which users can all use to avoid becoming victims of blue bugging in the future. The first thing users need to do is disable Bluetooth on their devices whenever they are not using them. 

In addition, it is important to turn off these services, such as AirDrop and Fast Share, which rely on Bluetooth unless users are sending or receiving files from a friend that you are familiar with. By restricting access to Bluetooth services, it would be much harder (if not impossible) for people to become victimized by blue bugging in the future. 

In addition, it is recommended that users make sure that their smartphone, tablet, and Bluetooth-enabled computer have an antimalware application installed. The antimalware app will alert them if any suspicious activity or attempts are made to gain access to users' devices through its perimeter, protecting their privacy and personal information in the event a hacker does gain access to their device. There are fortunately not a lot of blue bugging attacks around - but this could gradually change over the coming months.

Law Enforcement Faces Unprecedented Cyber Threat as Hackers Swipe Police Officer Data

 


In a cyber-attack that has struck two of Britain's most well-known police forces, an expert has warned of a high probability that the personal details of tens of thousands of public sector workers may have been compromised. 

Last month, the Metropolitan Police (Met) was also hacked similar to that which hit Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on Thursday. The hacking also affected nearly 12,500 officers and staff of Met last month. 

A third-party supplier used by both police forces is believed to have been compromised by the ransomware attack that stole the information contained on the warrant cards of officers – including their names, ranks, photos and serial numbers – at the time. 

There was a breach at a Stockport-based company, Digital ID, that produces identity cards and lanyards for several UK organizations, including several NHS trusts and universities, which the National Crime Agency said has been the subject of a criminal investigation. 

According to the message, the attack 'includes data of personnel that work for the public sector and other organisations throughout the UK including GMP and the Metropolitan Police', and the attack also violated the security of several other organisations. 

As a result of the investigation, investigators have begun making conclusions about the possibility of names, ranks, photos, and serial numbers being accessed from the badges. There was a massive security breach of the Met Police last month, causing officers and staff to be hacked in an unprecedented manner. 

In the wake of a cyber crook's breach of the IT systems of a contractor printing warrant cards and staff passes, all 47,000 military members were warned of the possibility their photos, names and ranks been stolen. 

After becoming aware of the incident last month, Digital ID said it notified cyber experts who notified the company. According to the company, most of its clients purchase its printers and produce ID cards at their own offices, which means that there is no need to transfer huge amounts of employee data to third parties, as most clients buy its printers and print ID cards on-site. 

Some clients, however, are still providing employee data to Digital ID so that it can print employee cards for them. It is understood that these customers include the Metropolitan Police as well as the General Medical Council. 

According to a source, most of these identity cards were inactive when they left Digital ID's headquarters, which is where they were created. Despite such clearly visible security measures, it appears that cyber-attackers have somehow managed to access the data produced by the system. 

The highly sensitive nature of the work conducted within the policing system at both forces will lead to serious security concerns due to the high number of officers and staff employed by both forces, which have the most active counter-terrorism units in the country. 

Scotland Yard was alarmed once again last month after a massive breach of security that exposed the names, pictures, and other personal information of officers. It has been revealed that 10,000 people belonging to the Northern Ireland police service had their personal data mistakenly disclosed earlier in August.

Hackers are believed to have stolen the names and photographs of police officers in a massive security breach at the Met at Scotland Yard. After hackers successfully penetrated the IT systems of the contractor printing the warrant cards and staff passes for the force, 47,000 employees were notified of the data leak. 

It was also feared that the information taken may include information regarding the vetting process and identification numbers. The NCA issued a report about the possibility of terrorists or organised gangs using the stolen data for their malicious purposes.

According to reports, the National Crime Agency was contacted over concerns that terrorists or organised gangs may be able to use the stolen data to commit acts of terrorism. Levels of vetting, as well as ID information, were feared to have been among the information taken. 

Scammers Target Christmas with Labour's Online Safety Bill

 


During the 12 days of Christmas, Labour has predicted that nearly £80m will be lost to online fraud and spam over the holiday season. Ministers were criticised for the delays in the passage of the bill concerning online safety.  

According to police force data that was analyzed by the party, the number of incidents of cybercrime was 312 per day in 2019/20 and 2020/21 on average. This constitutes a loss of £6.36 million per day or a loss of £76 million over the festive period as a result of fraud. There has been criticism of Labour regarding the delay in the parliamentary process of the online safety bill. It has been alleged that the delay is letting criminals and fraudsters off the hook. 

Several delays and amendments have been made to the bill over the past few years. It was anticipated that it would finish its Commons stages by the end of July. At the last minute, however, the government decided to hold a confidence vote for Boris Johnson. Despite a row among conservative MPs over whether or not it would unfairly stifle freedom of speech online, the bill has since been stalled as ministers rewrite key sections of it. 

As a result of this legislation, children will be better protected from hazardous online content and there will be a decrease in the amount of hate speech and self-harm content available online. 

The government is extending the current parliamentary session, which was supposed to end in May, so it can be used as an opportunity to pass major pieces of legislation. The bill on online safety is included in this category. 

Earlier this year, the Shadow Digital minister, Alex Davies-Jones MP, said that the government was giving fraudsters and criminals a free pass. However, the victim protection against fraudulent activity was broken. 

There has been a growing concern that the country's government is not taking fraud seriously - however, being the biggest crime in the UK. During this Christmas holiday season, families are at risk of falling victim to online fraud and cybercrime as they struggle to make ends meet. 

In addition, she stated that the online safety bill has been a significant success thanks to Labour, as it strengthens online fraud protections. But as a result of ministers' willingness to bow down to vested interests rather than stand up for consumers, the entire bill is now at risk. 

Speaking for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, a spokesperson said that the government remains committed to fighting fraud and economic crime. This is regardless of what it takes. 

As part of the DCMS's plans, £400m will be invested over the next three years to help police agencies respond to crimes more effectively. A report published by the company claims that over 2.7 million scams have been removed from the internet in the past year.  

To ensure that the UK is the safest place to be online in the world, the government is committed to passing a world-leading online safety bill. In addition, big tech firms will be required to tackle fraud, including romance scams and fraudulent advertisements. 

Missing Cryptoqueen: Leaked Police Files May Have Alerted the OneCoin Fraudster Ruja Ignatova

 

Best known as the “Missing CryptoQueen,” convicted fraudster Ruja Ignatova who was included on the most wanted list by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assumed to be receiving the information of the investigation before her disappearance. 
 
The 42-year-old fraudster, based in Bulgaria is convicted of her suspected involvement in the $4 billion OneCoin cryptocurrency fraud. The details of the scam were uncovered in a BBC podcast ‘The Missing Cryptoqueen’ devoted to the infamous fraudster. 

The police documents related to the case were apparently shown in the podcast by Frank Schneider, a former spy and trusted adviser to Ignatova. Following the allegations, Schneider is now facing extradition to the US for his role in the OneCoin fraud. 

While the metadata on the files suggests that Ignatova acquired the said documents through her own contacts in Bulgaria, Schneider denies the claims of obtaining the documents himself, which he says were obtained on a USB memory stick by Ignatova. 
 
Ignatova disappeared on October 25th, 2017, after being made aware of the police investigation into her OneCoin cryptocurrency. Following this, in June 2022 she was included in the FBI's most wanted list.
 
In an interview with the BBC, Schneider informed about the police files containing presentations made at a Europol meeting named ‘Operation Satellite.’ The meeting was attended by officials from Dubai, Bulgaria, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands along with the FBI, the US Department of Justice, and the New York District Attorney five months before the disappearance of Ignatova. 
 
The said documents contained details of US authorities having a “high-placed confidential informant”, bank accounts from OneCoin receiving investor funds, and failed attempts of the UK's City of London to interview Ignatova. 

On being asked about the aforementioned files, Schneider said "When the Bulgarians participated at certain Europol meetings, it only took hours for her to get a complete rundown and get the minutes of what was said in those meetings.” “I can only deduce that it came from the circles that she was in and the she had through a variety of influential personalities.”

DDoSecrets Published 1.8 TB of Surveillance Footage From Helicopters on the Internet

 

Surveillance drones have been increasingly popular among law enforcement agencies across the United States in recent years, drawing criticism from privacy advocates. However, freshly obtained aerial surveillance footage from the Dallas Police Department in Texas and what appears to be the Georgia State Patrol highlights the range and quality of footage captured by helicopters. 

On Friday, the transparency activist group Distributed Denial of Secrets, or DDoSecrets, released a 1.8-terabyte archive of police helicopter footage on its website. DDoSecrets cofounder Emma Best said her organization doesn't know who shared the material and that no affiliation or purpose for disclosing the files was given. The source just stated that the data was being stored in insecure cloud infrastructure by the two police departments. 

In June 2020, DDoSecrets made headlines when it revealed a massive leak of law enforcement data taken by a hacker linked to Anonymous. Emails, audio, video, and intelligence documents from more than 200 states, municipal, and federal agencies around the US were included in the data, called BlueLeaks. DDoSecrets was banned from Twitter, and Reddit banned the r/blueleaks subreddit. 

The report merely stated that the law enforcement agencies responsible for keeping the video secure were sorting the data in an insecure cloud infrastructure when the bad actor obtained access and posted the video online. WIRED examined the material that was posted online, and according to their article, the samples included footage of a helicopter being piloted during the day and at night, recording everything from an aerial view. 

“This is exactly one of the things that people are constantly warning about, especially when it comes to government surveillance and corporate data mining,” Best told WIRED in a text message interview. “Not only is the surveillance itself problematic and worrisome, but the data is not handled in the ideal conditions we're always promised." 

Police drones have gained a lot of attention recently because they represent a new generation of aerial vehicles capable of stealthy surveillance and novel behaviors, such as flying indoors. Law enforcement forces, on the other hand, have been using helicopters for aerial surveys and monitoring for decades. However, DDoSecrets' footage shows how successful helicopter-mounted cameras are in capturing extremely crisp and detailed video near to the ground. 

Given that such footage could be helpful in a variety of ways for stalkers, assailants seeking materials for blackmail, domestic or international terrorist groups, or those conducting espionage operations, privacy advocates underline the importance of safeguarding aerial police surveillance data.

Lone cyber police station in Bengaluru gets overburdened

The delay in setting up new police stations to handle cyber crime has overburdened the lone station in Bengaluru. Eight new police stations for cyber crime, economic offences and narcotics (CEN stations) were announced in December 2018 to handle the growing number of cyber crime cases in Bengaluru. One station was to be set up in each of the eight law-and-order divisions. Even six months after the announcement, the proposal is yet to be implemented.

The existing station, often crowded, has received over 4,700 complaints so far this year. It got 5,036 cases in the whole of 2018.

More cyber crime cases are registered in Bengaluru than in other Indian cities. And yet, some other cities have multiple dedicated stations. For instance, there are three cyber crime stations in Hyderabad.

Policemen say the sheer number of cases hampers investigations. In fact, the station has filed just one charge sheet until now this year against 52 in 2018 and 229 in 2017. A chargesheet is the end of the investigation process from the police side and paves the way for the case to be heard in court. Until now, there has been only one conviction for a cyber crime — in October 2018 after a case was investigated by the CID.

The existing station has a large number of visitors on most days. A policeman said, “Most of our time is spent in handling incoming cases, leaving us with hardly any time to investigate them.” Another official said though about 20 additional Central and Reserve (CAR) personnel have been deployed at the station, more stations are a must for faster resolution of cases.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Girish S said setting up of more stations will help the complainants as they will then have to travel only shorter distances to file complaints. Asked if the volume of cases was affecting investigations, Girish said, “I can’t say it’s affecting investigations, but what is happening is we are focusing on the more pressing, immediate cases, due to which the resolution time for other cases gets prolonged.” Cases of a very serious nature are taken up by the CID wing.

Goa DGP calls Alexa a spy

Goa Director General of Police (DGP), Muktesh Chander, while speaking at a cybersecurity seminar on Thursday, 21 February, warned people from excessive use of Amazon's artificial intelligence assistant Alexa, saying that these assistants are acting like spies and collecting private information, The Indian Express reported.

“And what Alexa does. All the time it is listening. Everything. Every word you are saying, Alexa is listening and passing it on to Google. (Chander then corrects himself and says Amazon)."

Chander, who is also a cybersecurity expert, was delivering a keynote address at a seminar on ‘Cyber Security for Industry’ in Panaji.

“Sounds.pk… PK are Pakistani sites. Why are they giving sounds free of cost?” Chander said, adding that the songs.pk website promotes a “compromised Chinese-made browser” to glean information from a user’s phone. “Has anybody tried downloading this songs.pk? All of a sudden if you are trying on mobile, one thing is bound to come up… UC browser. Have you heard of that? Because UC browser is… a Chinese browser. It is collecting all the information. So there is a hidden agenda,” Chander said.