-1.svg)
OSINT Blog
OSINT for Law Enforcement
Intelligence-led law enforcement investigations and operations rely on reliable, relevant, timely, and actionable intelligence. OSINT enables law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze information from the internet relating to their investigations, identifying criminals, criminality, and witnesses.
Continue Reading
Disrupting Crime with Vehicle Records
There are 287 million vehicles registered on the road in the U.S., equating to roughly 872 cars per 1000 people. Vehicles are intrinsically linked to our way of life and are rarely found far from their owners, with infrastructure designed around their heavy use. Therefore, identifying the vehicle that the subject of an investigation owns, has access…
Continue Reading
Event Security with OSINT
Event security is much more than security personnel walking around the site during the event. Security at events necessitates extensive planning, resources, and communication. Security teams routinely use equipment and technology to support the efforts of security personnel through measures such as CCTV, however, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is an…
Continue Reading
Stolen Identities: How Fraud is Affecting Pandemic Aid
Well-researched scams can appear so genuine that they fool the intended marks. As discussed in our recent article on hitman scams, scammers use real-world details and mimic official terminology to make their frauds appear authentic. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown this, with con artists utilizing several methods to exploit the pandemic for their…
Continue Reading
How the BBC unmasked a Scammer Social Media Influencer using OSINT
A recent BBC Panorama documentary unmasked the world of social media influencer scammers, individuals who boast about the scams that they are allegedly conducting online, as well as the wealth that it generates them, encouraging their followers to also engage in the same crimes and lifestyle. In the documentary, the BBC revealed that these scammers…
Continue Reading
Finding a Way Through the Dark (Data)
It’s been recently said that data is the new oil. However, whilst gasoline is accessible and easily obtained from gas stations, the same cannot be said for data. Many organizations have tried to exploit data themselves, recognizing it as a valuable asset, however, entire industries have been created to assist companies to locate, gather, and assess…
Continue Reading
Researching Hitman Scams on the Dark Web
Earlier this year, the European Union police agency Europol, working alongside Italian police, arrested a man suspected of hiring a killer on the dark web. The suspect allegedly paid roughly $10,000 worth of Bitcoin to have his ex-girlfriend killed. Authorities quickly traced the transaction, found the provider where he had purchased the…
Continue Reading
A Deep Dive into Deep Fakes
Deep Fakes Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning promise to evolve humanity to greater futuristic heights. The most pressing developments are in the areas of automation; AI-generated synthetic media, including audio or video, can bring unprecedented opportunities in the areas of art, education, and entertainment at a fraction of the cost.…
Continue Reading
Arson Claims on the Rise
Events over the last two years show that arson crimes appear to be rising across the country with insurance claims from fire losses as the logical extension of this activity. While there are many reasons or motivations for arson; the economic nature of COVID-19, the eviction moratorium, and cultural turmoil appear to be driving residential and…
Continue Reading
How NCPTF Helps Law Enforcement Find Missing Children
Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are reported missing in the United States. Last year, there were 365,348 reported missing children, the year before 421,394, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data. Meanwhile, the pandemic has made finding missing children harder for investigators.
Continue Reading