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Hackerazzi's Now Targeting High Profile Individuals

There has been a tremendous amount of publicity lately concerning e-mail and phone hacking. This is a method by which paparazzi, newspaper and magazine reporters, and individuals have been able to listen in on phone calls or hack into e-mails to get personal information from unsuspecting persons. It has long been known that a computer can be broken into and personal information stolen, often resulting in identity theft, however this new hacking goes even further.

Some of the hacking methods include

• Hacking a phone through fake Wifi
• Hacking a phone through bluetooth
• Simply tracking geolocation of pictures

The practice of the Hackerazzi, such as with the National Enquirer paying for any ‘tips’ on celebrities, has opened a floodgate for this type of hacking. This has encouraged individuals to obtain personal information from e-mails and pass it on for publication. It's long been known that the police can hack into cell phones whenever they have a need, but the use of this practice by paparazzi have call into question what 'privacy' really means. In this case individuals wanted to sell 'hot' stories take advantage of this by finding out where meetings are being set up, for example, and arriving at the site before the celebrities arrive. They also obtain information regarding pending marriages, divorces, and other things that are very personal.

No one is free from this kind of privacy invasion. It hits every segment of society, mainly those who are prominent in the public eye. In 2005, Alastair Campbell broke the story on a BBC webcast that made governments take a second look because they were often the targets. This story revealed that e-mail and phone tapping by prominent newspapers targeting government officials and celebrities involved hundreds of victims and over $50 million pounds. The ensuing scandal resulted in a court case that closed one well-known newspaper down.

The United States and UK take this invasion of personal privacy in the rapidly expanding area of cybercrime very seriously and will severely prosecute anyone they catch committing this violation. Therefore, they encourage anyone affected to report it to the IC3 in the U.S. or the National Fraud Authority or Action Fraud in the UK. The IC3 is a combination between the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. In the U.S. complaints and questions filed with IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) can only be made through their Internet site.

Contact points are:

United States

• Internet Crime Complaint Center
  Web Site: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

UK

National Fraud Reporting Centre

• P.O. Box 64170
  London
  WC1A 9BP
  Tel: 020 3356 1000
  Fax: 020 3356 1001
  

Action Fraud

• Tel: 0300 123 2040
  Text: 0300 123 2050
  Web Site: www.actionfraud.org.uk
  

General queries: NFAcontact@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk

If this cybercrime should happen to you it is important to contact the proper authorities immediately. It will probably be necessary to change your e-mail address and phone number. When setting up your password for the Internet you should never use your address, initials, maiden name, birth date or anything that might appear on your personal page or on people search. This is what the cybercrime hacker is looking for to gain easy access to the equipment you hold most dear.