i gangs hi tech gang communication-handout

Carter F. Smith

carterfsmith@gmail.com

615-656-3505

2

What do we know?

Young folks can’t remember life without cell phones, CDs or an email address. Many gang members are a part of this generation.

As gangs evolve, they take on more of a business model than they had when they started. This affects the way we should investigate them.

3

Focus on issues

from these perspectives

Information

Intelligence

Evidence

4

Overview Mobile telephone & text messaging

Traditional instant messaging

Web based sites & text/voice/video messaging

Open source intelligence

Convergence/virtual communication

Evidentiary considerations

Legal considerations

Future vision

5

Disclaimer

The technology identified in this presentation may

not be used by all gang members in all locations. It

will be used by a few 1st Gen gangs, many 2nd Gen

gangs, and most 3rd Gen gangs.

None of the information presented herein should

be mistaken for an endorsement of methods,

applications, or techniques used.

Compiled from the listed references by the Gangfighters Network – www.Gangfighters.net

3G23G2Based on the coining and development

of the phrase Third Generation Street Gangs by John P. Sullivan and Dr. Robert Bunker

Flash Mob + Gang activity

= Flash gangbanging

George Knox, NGCRC, June 15, 2011

8

flash banging "smash and grab“ create diversion

smash window of

○ jewelry store

○ fur/leather store

take what they can grab

in seconds they are gone

9

In the News

Groups of youth using text messaging and social media to gather at specified locations

primarily on Chicago’s South Side

robbers attack people with pepper spray

also been reported in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

10

May 12, 2004 Dallas Almost 3 dozen people arrested for street fight.

Fight arranged via Internet chat room.

Two gangs arranged time to meet.

Gang members identified and arrested with aid

of digital video.

'Some of them actually signed in with their true

names, so that helped us identify people.'

11

April 19, 2011 – Los Angeles Man shot in head after 'Gang inspired' flash mob trash Venice

Beach

Many involved dressed in gang attire and tattoos.

Victim shot in head and side.

Message on Twitter: ‘Venice beach bball ct going up tomorrow.’

LAPD called for reinforcements as crowd, clearly including gang

members, swelled.

Six to eight shots rang out at 6.30pm

Victim ran into alley before collapsing.

12

April 2011 - Washington, D.C. 20 youths outside G-Star Raw clothing store

filed in together, brushing past customers

marched directly to shelves of expensive designer jeans and racks of high-end shirts

sorted through selections for their sizes and tucked them under their arms, behaving like customers

suddenly made for exit, before police

suspects stole estimated $20,000 in merchandise

13

June 4, 2011 - Chicago Police arrested 7 of the 15-20 suspects

across the street from Northwestern

University on East Chicago Avenue.

One suspect hit male victim with baseball

bat. Several offenders punched and kicked

him.

Right after attack, 2d man robbed by 5-6

nearby.

14

Of 129 retailers, primarily national store

chains, 94.5 percent said they were

victimized by organized criminals in the

past year.

84.8 percent said the problem has only

worsened in the past three years.

High percentages aren't entirely due to

flash mob crime, but they are contributing.

15

Bureau of Justice Statistics – stalking

Technology (e-mail, IM, GPS & spyware)

used to harass 1 in 4 stalking victims. about 1.2 million victims.

Law enforcement remains under-

equipped..

Victims have mixed feelings about police

response.

16

APP: Application Short for ‘application program’.

(Broadly, an app is often a self-contained environment for

performing some well-defined task such as ‘word processing’)

Evidence considerations with Mobile (Wireless) Telephones

19

Sprint/Nextel

20

Sprint/Nextel

•1 to a group

at once

•all-digital,

secure

•U.S., Canada,

Mexico and

other

countries

21

AT&T Wireless (formerly Cingular Wireless)

Up to 2000 contacts can be stored with up to four numbers within each contact.

“VoiceClip,” allows you to record and send a message to up to three people without ringing the telephone

22

Verizon Wireless saves a copy of

the names, phone numbers, and email addresses stored in your phone.

view, print, add, delete, and edit your contacts online.

23

Apple MobileMe

new email, contacts, and calendar

events over the air to all your devices

24

Should we be concerned?

Bulk purchases of cell phones

Sold at a loss to create a market for real profit maker more call time

Middlemen deactivates lock so they can be used on other services

Recent court actions may change, but there is still a degree of anonymity

25

boost

26

Jump Mobile

no monthly

commitments,

no long-term

contracts,

and no

hidden fees

Evidence considerations with

Mobile (Phone) Text Messaging

28

29

30

Mobile Phone Text messaging

At the end of 2011, 6 billion mobile subscriptions

Equivalent to 87 percent of the world population

huge increase from 5.4 billion in 2010

○and 4.7 billion in 2009.

31

Mobile Phone Text messaging

Text Messaging (aka SMS-Short Message Service) An alphanumeric message sent to

a mobile phone, typed using

○ Your phone keypad

○ Another form of interface (computer)

Allows short text messages to be sent and received on a mobile phone

32

Mobile Phone Text Messaging (w/o phone)

33

Mobile Phone Text Messaging

Hey! Hey!

34

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp

Web-based technology

36

Traditional instant messaging

(chat) AIM

Yahoo

MSN

ICQ

Google Talk

Trillian

Skype

37

Web-based Communications Technology

38

one billion users by end of summer

39

40

Twitter Is a free website designed to provide the exchange of public

content in the form of 140 characters messages sent from the web interface or from a user’s phone.

Users may have a public or private account, and choose to view the 140 character messages of other Twitter users, which range from businesses (such as Comcast, Whole Foods, etc.) to political figures (BarackObama) to celebrities or popular accounts (Oprah or Britney Spears) to normal people.

Twitter conducts most correspondence via email, so PLEASE INCLUDE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS so we may contact you. To contact us, email: lawenforcement@twitter.com

41

Twitbanging A 15-year old member of The New Dons

claims that twitter is useful for coordinating violent activities, and that they often use new lingo that would be difficult for anyone but insiders to understand.

Still, the NYPD has been successful in stopping attacks before they happen by keeping track of the online activities of gang members.

http://help.twitter.com/entries/41949-guidelines-for-law-enforcement

42

43

Mocospace

gangsta-colb

44

04/14/2008 Gang threats go high-tech

YouTube.com videos threatening more than two dozen Salinas youths questions about free speech and authorities' responsibility to

protect potential victims.

Modern iteration of way gang members have been threatening each other forever.

We have watched (threats) happen for years ... ever since spray paint and walls were invented," Salinas police Cmdr. Kelly McMillin said.

45

YouTube

46

YouTube

47

YouTube

48

More video

49

Gaming conversations

50

Anonymous Proxy Servers

Hide your IP address (think fake or alias ID)

Prevent unauthorized access to your computer

Effectively hide any information about you

Don’t let anyone know that you are surfing through a proxy

Used for Web searching

Web-Mail (MSN Hot Mail, Yahoo mail),

Web-chat rooms,

FTP archives, etc.

51

Stealth Surfing (anonymous proxy

servers/software)

Open Source Intelligence

53

54

http://www.spy.appspot.com/

55

56

Profile on a social network site

75% of online adults 18-24

57% of online adults 25-34

30% of online adults 35-44

19% of online 45 to 54 year olds

10% of online 55 to 64 year olds

7% of online adults 65 and older

Portable Technology

59

Portable Info/Commo PDA

Personal digital assistants are handheld computers that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. (Wikipedia)

PPC the Pocket PC is "a handheld device that enables users to store and retrieve e-mail,

contacts, appointments, tasks, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages (Microsoft, according to Wikipedia)

Smartphone a full-featured mobile phone with personal computer like functionality. Most smartphones

are cellphones that support full featured email capabilities with the functionality of a complete personal organizer. (Wikipedia)

iPhone/iPod The iPhone is a multimedia and Internet-enabled quad-band GSM EDGE-supported

mobile phone designed and sold by Apple Inc. The iPhone's functions include those of a camera phone and a multimedia player, in addition to text messaging and visual voicemail. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity. User input is accomplished via a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons. (Wikipedia)

60

Like a Dumb Terminal . . .

USB/iPod/SD Card used as hard-drive Traceless on host comp

May not remember/know to include in warrant

Major IT security breaches . . .

Web-based data storage May not remember/know to include in

warrant

Major IT security breaches . . .

61

www.mojopac.com

62

Mini-data storage

iPod/MP3 players

SD data cards

Message typed/recorded/embedded

SIM cards

63

Remote monitoring

64

Web-based storage

65

Private Browsing No pages will be added to the list of sites in the History menu.

Nothing you enter into text boxes on websites or the Search bar and no Cookies will be saved.

No passwords will be automatically filled in during Private Browsing and no new passwords will be saved.

No files you download will remain in the list in the Downloads window after you turn off Private Browsing..

The cache stores temporary files such as web pages, images and other online media. All of the items that get added to the cache will be deleted when you turn off Private Browsing.

66

Augmented Reality

live direct or indirect view of a physical

real-world environment whose elements

are augmented by virtual computer-

generated imagery

Convergence/Virtual technology

68

Voice Over Internet Protocol

(VoIP) Three main technologies used for mobile VoIP: UMA - The Unlicensed Mobile Access, designed to allow VoIP to run

over the GSM cellular backbone

SIP - The standard used by most VoIP services, and now being implemented on mobile handsets

Skype Protocol and Barablu - a proprietary modified version of Jabber

69

(partially) Concealing identity

1. Enter your mobile number

2. Enter your friend's mobile

number

3. Call the local jaxtr number

and talk

70

(partially) Concealing identity

Complete IP voice and messaging platform

Services allow calls via mobile, landline, computer or Wi-Fi vice

71

Anonymize your phone call

Caller ID displays the number

you want them to see, change

the tone of your voice and

keep a backup

Unblocks blocked and

restricted calls with any cell

phone.

72

73

Google Voice

Call screening - Announce

and screen callers

Listen in - before taking call

Block calls

SMS - Send, receive, store

Place calls - Call US

numbers for free

Taking calls - Answer on

any of your phones

Phone routing - Phones

ring based on who calls

Forwarding phones - Add

phones - decide which ring

Voicemail transcripts -

Read what your voicemail

says

Listen to voicemail - Online

or from your phone

Notifications - Via email or

SMS

Personalize greeting - Vary

greetings by caller

Share voicemail - Forward

or download voicemails

Conference calling - Join

people into a single call

Call record - Record calls

and store them online

Call switch - Switch phones

during a call

Mobile site - View your

inbox from your mobile

GOOG-411 - Check

directory assistance

Manage groups - Set

preferences by group

74

Phonebooth.com

75

Telephone Number Identification with Caller ID lookups.

You can also click on an area code and it will give you a list of the cities and their exchange numbers.

http://tnid.us/

76

Mass-communication

Delivered anywhere within the CONUS.

NO long distance charges

Message can be up to 45 seconds

Delivered to people, voice mail, answering machines

Import existing contact list or manually enter

Status reports and call histories available on line

77

Mass-communication

Evidentiary considerations

79

Preparation

Plan (equipment, collection material, warrant,

etc.) to collect power source, peripheral

accessories

Document as-is, as able (fungible evidence)

Know who needs to be contacted to probe

further – don’t delay

80

Seizing Evidence

First Responder

Training First Responder

Handling

Handheld Device

Evidence

Legal considerations Compiled by the Gangfighters Network

– www.Gangfighters.net

82

Legal considerations

Locate/assemble available expertise Include translation (geekspeak-English)

needs (prosecutor/judge/jury)

Coordination with forensics/lab in advance – familiarity

Coordination with prosecutor in advance – familiarity

83

i-Warrants

Include “uncommon” technical terms in affidavit.

Describe role of the device/technology in the offense

Justify your need to search off site

Treat contents as evidence AND intelligence

84

i-Warrants

If you can logically tie potential evidence to the crime, and can articulate the need in the warrant, you should be able to access more areas where evidence exists. (think passwords, cases, cables, synchronizing)

85

5th Circuit's opinion - January

2007 "the permissible scope of a search incident

to a lawful arrest extends to containers

found on an arrestee's person."

A cell phone is an electronic "container," in

that it stores information that may have

great evidentiary value (and that might

easily be destroyed or corrupted).

86

Search of cell phones cannot be

justified as search incident to lawful

arrest.

The justification is the need for officer

safety and to preserve evidence...

A text message on a cell phone presents

no danger of physical harm to the

arresting officers or others.

87

Searching through information stored on a

cell phone is analogous to a search of a

sealed letter, which requires a warrant.

The search of text messages does not

constitute an inventory search. The purpose of an inventory search is to document

property in an arrested person's possession to

protect property from theft and the police from

lawsuits for lost or stolen property.

88

the basic principle still applies:

incident to a person's arrest, a

mobile phone or beeper may be

briefly inspected to see if it

contains evidence relevant to the

charge for which the defendant

has been arrested.

Future vision

Two ways to send money with PayPal Mobile:

By text message:

Text message to 729725 (or PAYPAL) with the amount and the phone number to send it to. For example, to send $10.00 USD to the phone

number 4150001234, text:

Send 10 to 4150001234

By phone call: Call 1-800-4PAYPAL to send money by voice or keypad. You’ll be asked for your PIN to login, and then simply follow the prompts to send money.

91

boku No registration.

Get goods faster.

No cards.

Just you and your phone.

No problem.

Safe and secure, always.

93

Facebook Credits: The World's First Global Currency?

94

Future vision

Application Identity theft

Bank fraud

Money laundering

Drug Trafficking

Technology Wifi/WiMax

Bluetooth & Mobile developments

Anonymous interaction

Steganography

Carter F. Smith

carterfsmith@gmail.com

615-656-3505