Musings on Future Crimes

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When Computers See: Crime and Policing Implications

Ah, remember the good old days of searching the Internet…the days when you had to type your search request into a search engine text box?  So quaint…so 2009.  Now, thanks to Google Goggles, it is possible for your mobile phone’s camera to take a picture of an object and use that image itself to search [...]

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Haitian Earthquake Disaster, SMS/Text Message Donations and Cyber Criminals: A Perfect Combination

As the world responds with kindness and compassion to the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010, fraudsters and cyber criminals are quick at work to take advantage of the situation.  In addition to the traditional forms of despicable profiteering that occur surrounding many natural disasters, new technologies for emergency philanthropy and [...]

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Stolen Android Phone Sends Victim Picture of Thief

According to the below television news report, police in Wilsonville, Oregon arrested a neighborhood burglar after he used the Motorola Droid mobile phone he had stolen to take a picture of himself on an Android phone.  What the thief did not know is that the phone had a mobile ap on it known as “Lookout.”  [...]

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Human Tragedy: Potent Vector for Malware Transmission

The Case of the Air France Crash As the story below demonstrates, any item that generates a lot of international news headlines is likely to be exploited by global criminal networks.  Whether it is the unexpected death of Michael Jackson or a tragic tsunami, earthquake or volcano, scammers are using the public’s interest as a [...]

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