Singapore Sting: How spies Listened in on German General

Brigadier General Frank Gräfe has a work call to dial into with his boss - the commander of the German air force...What none of the call's participants know is that they're being eavesdropped on - and their conversation is being recorded. Two weeks after the call took place, the audio tape was leaked by Russia's state-run RT channel...Their man in Singapore had, according to the German government, sprung "a data leak".

But how were spies able to eavesdrop?

The answer we've been given so far boils down to a case of human error. According to German authorities, the "data leak" was down to just one participant dialing in on an insecure line, either via his mobile or the hotel wi-fi. more

Questions for executives... 

• Are the numbers and passcodes for your conference calls distributed via email? 
• Do you or your assistants post these at their desks? 
• Are the numbers and passcodes ever changed? 

Observations from our TSCM inspections over the years... Yes. Yes. No. Take a hint from this cautionary tale. ~Kevin

Peru PM Resigns After Recording with Woman Leaked

The scandal escalated last week when a Peruvian TV broadcaster aired audio clips of what it said were conversations between the two. Mr Otárola, 57, has denied any wrongdoing. A formal investigation has been launched into the allegations.

According to the Panorama programme, which first aired the clips over the weekend, the woman Mr Otárola can be heard speaking to is Yaziré Pinedo, 25... Ms Pinedo was reportedly awarded two contracts for work in the defence ministry in 2023 that earned her a total of 53,000 sol ($14,000; £11,000)...

In the audio clips, Mr Otárola can be heard declaring his love for the woman and asking her to send him her CV. The remarks appear to contradict a statement he made prior to their release, that he had only met Ms Pinedo once at a meeting. She told Peruvian broadcaster Canal N on Tuesday that she had previously had a brief relationship with him. more

Weird Wiretapping Headline: Turtle Boy Free Again

Turtleboy blogger freed from jail, pleads not guilty to new witness intimidation, wiretapping charges. 

Jailed for nearly two months, Turtleboy blogger Aidan Kearney is free once more after a judge on Friday ordered his release and declined to set additional bail conditions following his arraignment on new witness intimidation and wiretapping charges. The polarizing blogger exited Norfolk Superior Court to raucous cheers from a crowd of his supporters, taking selfies and doling out handshakes and fist bumps like a quarterback after the winning game. more

Court Clerk's Son Charged with Wiretapping

SC - The son of the Colleton County court clerk involved in the Alex Murdaugh case has been charged with wiretapping, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced this week. Former Colleton County information technology director Jeffrey Colton Hill, 34, was charged Tuesday and then booked at the detention center, SLED officials said... Hill is the son of Colleton County Court Clerk Rebecca Hill, who was recently accused of jury tampering by convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers. Murdaugh officially filed a motion for a new trial in the murders of his wife and son last month. more

Court: Automakers Can Record & Intercept Owner Text Messages

A federal judge on Tuesday refused to bring back a class action lawsuit alleging four auto manufacturers had violated Washington state’s privacy laws by using vehicles’ on-board infotainment systems to record and intercept customers’ private text messages and mobile phone call logs.

The Seattle-based appellate judge ruled that the practice does not meet the threshold for an illegal privacy violation under state law, handing a big win to automakers Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors, which are defendants in five related class action suits focused on the issue. One of those cases, against Ford, had been dismissed on appeal previously. more

NJ Jury Finds Attorney Illegally Recorded Ex-Son-In-Law

A New Jersey jury on Tuesday found that a law professor illegally wiretapped her ex-son-in-law and invaded his privacy, awarding him $361,000 in damages, but also found that he painted her in a false light in social media posts alleging she framed him for a crime. more

Putin's Millionaire Wiretapping Boss, 40, Found Dead...

 

...in suspicious circumstances.

Anton Cherepennikov, 40, was found dead in his office in Moscow.

Further investigations are yet to be carried out, however, his cause of death was confusingly listed as “cardiac arrest” prior to any post-mortem.

His longtime pal Vasily Polonsky has since insisted: “I do not believe [he died of] cardiac arrest,” casting further doubt over the circumstances of the death.

Media outlet Baza has reported that “the exact cause of the entrepreneur's death will be determined later”. more

Hugh Grant Accuses The Sun Used 'Bugging' to Obtain Private Information

The Sun newspaper used "burglaries to order" and "breaking and entering" to obtain private information through "bugging, landline tapping and phone hacking", Hugh Grant has claimed in court.

The 62-year-old actor made the allegations in a witness statement read out as part of his lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN) - the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World.

The British star attended the final day of a hearing at London's High Court where NGN is bringing a bid to have claims by him and Prince Harry thrown out. more

The Chatbot-Centric Wiretapping Lawsuit Against Old Navy

Court Refuses to Toss Out Chatbot-Centric Wiretapping Lawsuit Against Old Navy

Old Navy cannot escape a lawsuit accusing it of running afoul of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”) by way of its use of a sophisticated chatbot feature on its e-commerce site. Despite Old Navy’s bid to get the case that Miguel Licea lodged against it in August 2022 dismissed in its entirety, Judge Sunshine Sykes of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sided with the plaintiff, in part, finding that his CIPA Section 632.7 claim against Old Navy for eavesdropping can move ahead. more

A New Wave of Lawsuits - Wiretapping Litigation for Website Analytics

2022 saw a new wave of class action lawsuits targeting companies that use technology to track consumers’ interfaces on their websites...

Plaintiffs often ground their claims in the electronic interception provisions of federal and state wiretapping laws. Under the Federal Wiretap Act of 1968, a person is prohibited from “intentionally intercept[ing] … any … electronic communication.” 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1)(a) (2022). The FWA and many state statutes define “interception” as “acquiring the contents of that electronic communication.” Id. § 2510(4). “Content” is defined as “any information concerning the substance, purport[] or meaning of that communication.” Id. § 2510(8). 

Under the FWA, a court may require a defendant to pay $10,000 per violation. Id. § 2520(c)(2). Fines under similar state laws range from $1,000 to $50,000 per violation, depending on the state. more

Spy Headlines this Week

• TikTok CEO on ByteDance: "I Don't Think That Spying is the Right Way to Describe It." more

• Facing spying claims, Mexico recorded phone call of prominent activist more

• The Spy Law That Big Tech Wants to Limit more

• Your refrigerator could be spying on you! Senate committee clamps down on smart devices more

• Greek intelligence allegedly uses Predator spyware to wiretap Facebook Security Manager more

• Senate Bill Would Be Big Step to Combatting Harmful Workplace Surveillance Practices more

• Archbishop admits spying on other Vatican officials more

• Everett school superintendent sues city for racial discrimination; charges mayor bugged her office more

• CIA's CTO and deputy director explain the future of high-tech spying more

• Spying, cocaine, money-laundering, historic losses: The sordid tale of the fall of Credit Suisse more

• Cell phone spying growing strong: How to know if you’ve been a victim of ‘stalkerware’ more

• Fox News producer was forced to spy on Maria Bartiromo, who execs called 'crazy,' more

• ESPIONAGE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A FORMER CIA SPY more

History: Early Anti-Eavesdropping / Wiretapping Invention

November 10, 1892...
Wiretapping telegraph lines was a known problem back then. Problem was... it was risky, detectable, and the tap always lead to the tapper. In some instances, all this could be circumvented by simply eavesdropping. If one could hear the telegraph clicking—and knew code—one could jot down the message, just like the telegraph employee.

This is how the problem was solved...

Andrew Tate and the Wiretaps

The controversial social media personality Andrew Tate was carted off by Romanian police in December 2022 and accused of sex trafficking and organized crime. However, new wiretaps show that 2 women framed him and his brother Tristan Tate after infiltrating their lives and involving the embassy...

It's unclear what exactly is going on with Tate's charges in Romania and nobody knows whether these wiretap revelations will have an impact on his case moving forward. His fans wait impatiently for the outcome while the many people who dislike him continue to rejoice that he is behind bars. more

Possible New Exception to the All Party Consent Wiretap Law

Maryland is currently considering Senate Bill 749, permitting a person to intercept wire, oral, or electronic communication under certain circumstances. The bill was introduced on February 6, 2023, and has been assigned to the Judicial Proceedings Committee. If passed, the bill would amend the existing law prohibiting the interception of any communication without the consent of the parties involved.

Currently, Maryland law states that any person who willfully intercepts or discloses wire, oral, or electronic communication without the consent of the parties involved is guilty of a felony and is subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $10,000 or both. However, Senate Bill 749 would provide an exception to this law, allowing a person to intercept communication without the consent of the parties involved if the person reasonably believes they are in imminent danger of becoming a victim of certain crimes.

The proposed amendment to the law would allow a person to intercept communication if they reasonably believe they are in imminent danger of becoming the victim of a crime of violence, stalking, abuse, or a violation of a protective order. more

Teacher Taps Her Way Into Their Hearts

PA - Wiretapping Charges - A Laurel Highlands High School teacher is accused of recording a student without his permission and sending the video to another student.

Ashley Thurby-Kolesar, 33, of Uniontown, faces felony charges of intercepting communications, disclosing intercepted communications and criminal use of a communication facility.

According to the criminal complaint, state police began an investigation into Thurby-Kolesar in mid-January amid concerns she was having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student. more  video

Attorney's Wiretap Claims Against Old Firm To Continue

Vrdolyak Law Group LLC must face a proposed class action alleging it recorded the conversations and phone calls of employees without their consent in violation of the Federal Wiretap Act and state laws, a federal court ruled.

Plaintiff Daniel Alholm timely filed his state and federal wiretapping claims against the law firm, Judge Mary M. Rowland of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said Tuesday.

Rowland rejected the firm’s argument that Alholm filed the wiretapping claims after the two-year statute of limitations had run, and denied its motion to dismiss as to those claims. She also dismissed Alholm’s fraud claims against the firm, but affirmed that the court would exercise supplemental jurisdiction over his state law misappropriation of likeness claims.

Alholm alleged that the firm surveilled employees in both its Chicago and Nashville offices, recorded conference calls and employees’ individual calls, and made unethical management and financial decisions. more

Moral: If you are a business that needs to record workplace activity, consult with a law firm that knows the local laws, first.

When Wiretaps Work - The Tate Brag Tapes

Controversial internet personality Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have reportedly been caught up in a wire-tapping scandal that appears to show the pair admitting to alleged money laundering and other crimes.

The former kickboxer has risen to prominence over the last year due to his outlandish takes about men living in a modern society. The 36-year-old has often gone viral for his comments, which have been labeled as misogynistic and led to a mass-ban of his social media accounts last year.

Towards the end of last year, Romanian police arrested Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan on a number of charges, including sex trafficking, rape and conspiracy to form a criminal group.

According to Digi24, the Romanian police successfully wiretapped the brothers, during which they admitted to a number of crimes. more

Zillow Sued For Alleged Wiretapping - It’s not what you think...

If your company maintains a website – whether offering financial products or just selling pet stairs – you now need to be familiar with state and federal wiretapping laws.

The term “wiretapping” probably brings to mind images of police detectives or FBI agents huddled in the back of a white panel van or in a dark room with headphones on, listening to and recording conversations among shady characters.

What likely doesn’t come to mind are interactive business websites. 

Yet a spate of recent class action lawsuits against a variety of business websites – including cases filed separately in September in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Missouri against Zillow Group Inc., as well as those filed against hardware retailer Lowe’s and travel website Expedia, among others – all cite state wiretapping laws as the basis of their complaints about invading consumer privacy...

Privacy experts say all of these wiretapping lawsuits have far reaching implications for any business that maintains a website and uses coding, software, or third-party vendors to analyze what clients or consumers do when they visit online. more

Wiretapping and Eavesdropping Research Paper

EARLY RESTRICTIONS ON ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE

The Supreme Court first considered the constitutionality of wiretapping in the 1928 case of Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 438 (1928). The Court ruled that governmental wiretapping of telephone conversations fell outside the protection of the Fourth Amendment. The Court based its conclusion upon a narrow, textual reading of the amendment. First, the Court found that words spoken into a telephone were not tangible things and thus could not be subjected to a search or seizure. Second, it reasoned that because wiretapping could be accomplished without a trespass, there was no physical invasion of property to justify invoking the Fourth Amendment. Finally, the Court assumed that one who uses the telephone ‘‘intends to project his voice to those quite outside.’’

The ruling in Olmstead was controversial. more

Greece Wiretap and Spyware

It has been dubbed the Greek Watergate. What began as a surveillance of a little-known journalist in Greece has evolved into an array of revelations circling around the Greek government.

The story emerged last spring, when Thanasis Koukakis found out his phone had been infected with spyware that can extract data from a device. He also discovered he had been tracked by Greece's EYP National Intelligence Service via more traditional phone-tapping.

It then emerged that an MEP had also had his phone tapped before he became leader of Greece's third-biggest party. more