Operation ReWired
This week, I wanted to take a look at technology from a different stand point. In criminal justice, we often look at technology as something that can help law enforcement do their jobs more efficiently. However, criminals can learn tech just as easily as anyone else. This is why it’s so important to stay on top of the newest technology and learn how it can be used against the general public in an effort to stop it from happening.
There’s been a huge surge in cybercriminals attacking business financial departments in an effort to wire money to themselves. I wrote about this in last week’s post and included the use of deepfakes to assist in this crime. The FBI has caught onto this trend and launched in operation to arrest and convict the people committing these crimes across the U.S. and globally.
The scariest part of this is the realization that this isn’t just happening to businesses. Criminals are also targeting the elderly and individuals with any kind of buying power. They will email their victims and pretend to be someone they trust, asking for money to be wired. The emails look very legitimate and it’s hard to suspect any foul play. Because of this, the FBI urges people to be cautious. In the article linked above, they emphasize how important it is to authenticate the email by picking up the phone and calling the person to verify. Update systems regularly, use secure passwords, and don’t click on links in emails.
This operation to dismantle these criminal networks resulted in 281 arrests, and there’s still more to be caught! So don’t forget to report suspicious emails and text messages.