Open Source Intelligence 101

As the internet expands so do the online scams and how sophisticated they are becoming. What online scams all have in common is that they prey on your fear, greed, and ignorance – here are some of the most sophisticated online scams on the internet that everyone seems to fall for. Phishing – One of the most popular scams out there is email phishing. Victims of phishing scams will be tricked into giving out their passwords through legitimate emails and seemingly trustworthy businesses. According to a recent study, nearly 100 000 attempts of phishing are reported each month. Learn more about phishing scams here. The Nigerian Prince Scam – One of the oldest online scams in the books is the Nigerian prince scam. You’ll receive an email from a Nigerian prince or investor offering you a chance of financial gain, the catch is you need to pay a small portion upfront or give out your private banking information. Ticket Fraud – Victims of the ticket fraud scam will be...

Ethical hacking, sometimes known as white hat hacking is when a digital forensics expert or OSINT investigator attempts to penetrate a computer system, network or app on behalf of the owners – with their permission. Ethical hacking is usually done to find if there is any security vulnerabilities that a hacker or cybercriminal could use to exploit someone. The purpose of ethical hacking is to test the security of the systems involved and identify if there are any vulnerabilities in the system as well as the network or infrastructure. Investigators involved will often attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities themselves to see whether malicious activities are possible. Black hat hackers are the unethical counterpart of ethical hackers. Rather than take advantage, ethical hackers will use their skills to document if there are any weaknesses in the systems and give advice on how to fix them and then strengthen their overall security systems. Here are some ways ethical hackin...

Letting your guard down can lead to serious consequences, especially when it comes to fraud through your emails, SMS’s and even telephone calls. Phishing, smishing, and vishing are some of the many ways that criminals may try to defraud you… Here’s what you need to know about phishing, smishing, and vishing! Phishing: This is a scam that takes place through emails. A typical attack will occur when you receive an email that looks real, either appearing to be sent from your bank or other financial institution.  Most of the time the email will ask you to click on a link or update your private account information. Even though these emails may look legitimate, they are simply trying to scare you into clicking a link that will lead to a legitimate-looking website – but it isn’t! They will try and scare you into clicking links by saying, “your account has been blocked.” or “you need to install this new software to stay protected.” If you fall for this fake email, yo...

Facebook Marketplace is kind of like Craigslist, where it offers a place for people to search for goods to buy from people in their local community as well as sell items in their community.  All you have to do to use Facebook Marketplace is have a Facebook profile and selling something is as easy as taking a photo, setting the price, posting and then selling! Buying the items are just as easy! However, Marketplace comes with a range of annoying scams, including fake items, catfishing and even hacking. Because of the downside to Facebook Marketplace, you need to always be on the lookout for these common Facebook Marketplace scam scenarios… - Someone will be selling authentic items at a very low price, but it turns out they’ve sold you a counterfeit. - There are a range of dating scams (catfishing) that include someone using a fake photo to lure the desperate in. - A family members Facebook may be hacked and a user will receive a plea from them for money. - ...

In this day and age, it is so easy for criminals to use a digital device to carry out a traditional crime. A traditional crime such as blackmail which, back in the day, would usually be done using newspaper cuttings collaged together to create a ransom note is now being done in a completely different way using the power of digital devices as well as the internet. These days, it is so much easier for criminals to just use a computer to carry out a range of crimes such as, blackmail, identity theft, social media scams, ticket scams, dating bots, data theft and so much more. Some examples of other traditional crimes where a digital device can be used include instant messaging, which is often used to commit harassment. Criminals also continue to pose as your bank where they will SMS you and try to scam you into paying fake accounts, etc. Email is also used by cybercriminals on a regular basis to commit fraud by using phishing scams. It seems that the list is endless and ...

With everyone being on multiple social media networks these days, privacy is a very rare thing. Because of this, social media networks are an easy way for scammers and bots to potentially pose a threat to users! However, there are certain actions that YOU are doing that can make things so much worse! To keep yourself safe and secure, use your common sense and always be sure to never, ever post these 4 things on your Facebook network or any other social media account.  - Home address or work address This should be an obvious one, but “Checking in” or adding your location to an image or post can also give away where you are. So, be careful when you’re adding geotags on your  Instagram  posts, because some creep might be trying to find out where you live or work. - Certain photos of children You should always be extra, extra careful when it comes to posting photos of children on social media. Always steer clear of uploading compromising images, like ...

Imagine this common scenario, someone leaves a company after many years and starts working for a competitor business in the same business park. It is suspected that the employee may have taken private company info with them, such as client, supplier and pricing lists. No matter what company information it might be, when it is suspected that the employee may have stolen digital assets then it is vital that the company takes the right steps to ensure the evidence is protected and preserved, especially if it is needed in a possible civil litigation. For example, at our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) department we receive a call from a client stating that they suspect their former employee took important propriety information with them when they left. They still have the former employee’s computer in the office, here’s what we’ll do next… First, we’ll tell the client to immediately isolate the computer in question. If the computer is turned off, then it needs to be lef...

Every year insurance fraud is committed, resulting in millions being lost, however, investigators who use social media to find important evidence are bringing down the numbers. At OSINT, our investigators use social media evidence to provide information against fraudsters. To find out more about our Open-Source Intelligence services please contact 021 110 0422 | email contact@osint.co.za or visit www.osint.co.za Here’s how OSINT investigators gather the evidence from social media networks: 1. Look out for inconsistent information. Is the person in question presenting on a story, but living another? Some people are unaware of what important information they are giving away on social media. For example, someone claims to have broken their arm at work, however their friend posts on their timeline or comments, “See you later at the pool,” or “Can’t wait to go bike riding this weekend!” This makes it obvious that some things are not what they seem. 2. Search for con...

Twitter is one of the original giants among social media networks and because it is so handy and easy to use it is a great way to communicate with your friends or associates. While Twitter is a great social media network, it is also a way for scammers and bots to potentially pose a threat to users, including teens and young kids. When it comes to staying safe on Twitter, parents need to make sure their children are as safe as possible. Read all about how to spot a Twitter scam here! 1. Always be smart with your passwords – Your password should always be at least 12 characters with a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.   It is also important not to use the same password for all your accounts. 2. Configure privacy settings – Everything you post on Twitter will pop up when it is searched for, so it is best to enable “Protect My Tweets” so your posts stay invisible to search queries. 3. Never share personal info – There are many people lurking on...

We basically live and breathe online, but could your digital communications on social media not be as authentic as you think? This is a result of… bots! This automated plague has taken over just about every social media platform you know and love and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon, however, it is possible to fight back! The best way to beat a bot isn’t to have a silly argument with them, it’s to simply see them for what they really are, automated fantasies designed to trick you as well as other users into giving out your details and much more. Here’s how to spot a bot… Did you know that recent research shows that Twitter alone has over 30 million bots! But, of course, there are bots across all social media networks including Facebook and Instagram. Most bots are there to rile users up to support a cause or sign up for something for an unbelievable low price such as medical aid; some have purposes that aren’t really clear. Anyway, you need to be abl...

Basically, everyone is on social media these days, so when you connect you’re basically advertising and sharing your life for the entire world to see. So why are social media investigations and social media intelligence so important? A trained professional can find information that any old regular person will never be able to spot as well as do so in the way that will ensure the evidence is secure, making sure they can prove who made the post, comment, etc. as well as prove when it was posted – even if it has already been deleted! At the OSINT division, we use our skills in the open-source intelligence department as well as a range of methods and techniques to find hidden social media accounts or ones that have private settings. Often when you are searching for someone on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. you will type in a name and a variety of accounts will appear, not including the ones that don’t show up in a public search. Because this happens we use a range of ...

These days most of our purchases these days are being made online. You can buy everything online from clothing, a new car, groceries and so much more. Unfortunately, because of this, there is a rise in the amount of online fraud occurring. Find out about our OSINT services and how you can be safe and secure online. All across the internet fraud and illegal activities are continuously growing and those who are involved in manufacturing, insurance industries and finances are experiencing an even higher increase of fraud, leading to significant financial loss. Did you know that it is estimated that 2% of the world’s total current output comes from illegal activity online? It’s time to fight fraud with open-source intelligence! Every business or organization knows that it is vital to prevent fraud in order to keep your company healthy and successful. However, most only think it is necessary to monitor the internal data, but this is only a small fraction of the a...

Due diligence is the process of verifying, investigating or auditing a potential deal or investment to confirm the facts as well as the financial information. Due diligence needs to be completed to assure the buyer of the risks involved as well as what they’ll be getting. Due diligence is so important because it is important in making the right decisions by enhancing the information that is available to the people who are making the decisions. Due diligence allows the buyer to feel comfortable when it comes to their expectations about the transactions. If you’re interested in buying a business then it’s best to ensure proper due diligence is performed. Please contact chris@tcgforensics.co.za for more details on the due diligence process or take a look at our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) website here www.osint.co.za . Reasons for Due Diligence... Common due diligence reviews with mainly focus on legal, financial and tax, but due diligence can look at so much m...

Did you know that it is estimated that more than 10% of Facebook’s accounts are fake? Facebook has obviously gone about trying different strategies to identify fake profiles, but it shouldn’t just be a concern for them, it should be a concern for you as a Facebook user too! If you study a Facebook profile carefully enough, you’ll be able to see whether it is fake or genuine. Here are 5 ways to identify fake Facebook profiles: #1 Profile Picture The first thing you notice about a Facebook profile is their profile picture, you should be wary if their picture is… - Just a single profile picture with no other images. - Profile pictures of celebrities - There is no profile picture - The profile picture is a stock photo or photo of a model #2 About Section Genuine Facebook users will fill in all their information and accomplishments in detail such as their high school, current employment, relationship status, etc. A fake Facebook profile will usually have...