Archive for the ‘Crime’ Category

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Malware Creeping into Portable Documents

By Dawn in Crime, Debugging - Electronic Countermeasures, Electronic Fraud, Electronic Theft, Hacking, MSI Detective Services, Technology at January 18th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

Although the picture in this story shows a book for “dummies,” it would take some extremely intelligent people to stay one step ahead of the constant attacks being made on corporations by cyber-criminals. This book wouldn’t really help you very much. You might need a Master’s degree in computer programming at minimum.

Malware designed to damage computer systems is now being secreted into portable documents, commonly known as PDD, by cyber-criminals whose efforts usually are thwarted by antivirus software. Everyone should have antivirus software on their computers – that is Computer Protection 101.

These PDF attacks are said to be aimed at corporate and government institutions and according to Defense analysts cited in online commentaries. The attacks are part of sophisticated schemes aimed at extracting information from systems otherwise thought to be firewalled and secure.

Several corporate sources confirmed defense organizations were targeted in the attacks. The attacks not only appear to be well-funded, but they could come from an unknown country or corporate entity. This, of course, makes it harder to track down these cyber-criminals.

This latest cyber-threat became news after warnings came from the computer software company Symantec, along with comments from defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin and software provider Adobe that acknowledged the risk.

Cyber-criminals trying to take advantage of the alleged weakness in Adobe’s PDF reading and editing software use a well-known family of malware called Sykipot, Symantec said. Read the full article »

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Hand in the Cookie Jar: Girl Scout Official Plundered $311,000

By Dawn in Crime, MSI Detective Services, Stolen Property, Theft Investigations at January 13th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

Talk about getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

A former finance director at the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York admitted on Tuesday to stealing more than $300,000 from the organization. She is Yaasmin Hooey, 35, of Manhattan.

That’s enough for more than 80,000 boxes of Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties). But Hooey wasn’t buying cookies. Instead, she was spending the money on cruises, cosmetic laser procedures and a $13,000 diamond ring. She also spent $18,000 in bars and restaurants, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Life is not going to be so luxurious behind prison bars.

She plead guilty to second-degree grand larceny. Hooey admitted stealing $311,568 between September 2008 and December 2010. “She began stealing from the non-profit as soon as she began working for them,”  said assistant district attorney Lauren Littman.

Hooey admitted forging the signature of the organization’s then-chief executive and writing 65 checks to herself from a payroll account. Nine wire transfers also moved money from two of the nonprofit’s bank accounts to Hooey’s own account.

In addition to spending the stolen money on luxury items, she used some of the money for “personal expenses” including groceries, a gym membership, clothing, and commuter train tickets.

She will be sentenced in the New York Supreme Court on March 6.

Read story@ msnbc

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How to Steal an Identity in Seven Easy Steps

By Dawn in Crime, Electronic Fraud, Electronic Theft, MSI Detective Services, Technology, Theft Investigations at January 12th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

People who have been the victim of identify theft know it can take months or even years to clean up the mess. It is one of the most stressful experiences one can have. The story I am about to share is very real. A close friend of mine was a victim of such a crime and the fact that someone was able to reset that person’s email password was all they needed to gain their personal information. Ironically, this person didn’t use simple passwords, yet it was still done. Still, make your passwords and security questions unique and don’t use the same information for multiple accounts. In fact, make the answers to your questions incorrect – just random information that isn’t even true. You may have to write down this information since all of us have so many accounts – making it impossible to remember everything. But, this minor inconvenience sure beats the major nightmare you will live if your identity is even stolen.

Herbert Thompson seems like just another smart academic software developer who loves formulas and geeking out. But he’s also stolen the identities of several casual acquaintances. In fact, in one case he gained access to a bank account in seven shockingly simple steps. He didn’t use any programming tricks, just a little sleuth work.

As part of an experiment and with the permission of some people he barely knew, Thompson stole identities to show the public how easy it is to get access to personal data and banking information. He proved it only requires some simple surfing for freely available personal data. What the following steps show is how vulnerable we all are to security breach. Read the full article »

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Stolen Taxicabs and Robbery Suspect Located With GPS Tracking Device

By Dawn in Crime, gps, gps tracker, Investigations, MSI Detective Services, robbery, Stolen Property, Technology, Theft Investigations at January 5th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

Two stolen taxicabs were located and one robbery suspect was captured because GPS tracking devices were installed on the taxicabs.

Stolen Taxicab Tracked in Denver

In the first incident, a man was arrested in Denver, CO this past Wednesday after law enforcement officials said he stole a taxi, robbed a convenience store and then led police officers on a chase that ended when he crashed the cab into a tree in a park.

The suspect stole an orange Union Taxi mini-van and then drove it to the Diamond Shamrock convenience store at around 1 a.m., according to a local police report.

The man robbed the convenience store and then took off in the stolen cab. The taxi was equipped with a GPS tracking device, allowing police to track the precise location of the vehicle. The suspect led officers on a chase. The chase ended with the cab going off the street and onto a sidewalk, where he then smashed into a tree near downtown Denver.

The police took the man into custody and the suspect was taken to a hospital to have his injuries checked out.

Stolen Taxicab Found in San Antonio

In a similar incident, a cab driver had his taxi stolen from him at gunpoint in San Antonio, TX.

Cesar Alvarez told police he picked up a fare at a motel around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. After driving the man to his destination, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun. Read the full article »

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