LabCode|8| : Identity Fraud

Identity fraud may occur when someone steals personal information, opens credit card accounts in the victim's name without permission, and charges merchandise to those accounts. Conversely, identity fraud does not occur when a credit card is simply stolen. Stealing one’s credit card may be consumer fraud, but is not identity fraud. Identity fraud is a synonym of unlawful identity change. It indicates unlawful activities that use the identity of another person or of a non-existing person as a principal tool for merchandise procurement.
Protect yourself against identity fraud
Don’t throw out anything with your name, address or financial details without shredding it first.
If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call from what appears to be your bank or building society asking for your security details, never reveal your full password, login details or account numbers. Be aware that a bank will never ask for your PIN or for a whole security number or password.
If you are concerned about the source of a call, ask the caller to give you a main switchboard number for you to call them back on. Alternatively, hang up and call your bank back on the legitimate phone number printed on your bank statements.
Check your statements carefully and report anything suspicious to the bank or financial service provider concerned.
Don’t leave things like bills lying around for others to look at.
If you’re expecting a bank or credit card statement and it doesn’t arrive, tell your bank or credit card company.
If you move house, ask Royal Mail to redirect your post for at least a year.
It is particularly helpful to check your personal credit file 2-3 months after you have moved house.
What should you do if you’ve been a victim of identity fraud?
Act quickly – you mustn’t ignore the problem. Even though you didn’t order those goods or open that bank account, the bad debts will end up under your name and address.
If you believe you’re a victim of identity fraud involving plastic cards (e.g. credit and debit cards), online banking or cheques, you must report it to your bank as soon as possible. Your bank will then be responsible for investigating the issue and they will report any case of criminal activity to the police. The police will then record your case and decide whether to carry out follow-up investigations.
If you think you’re a victim of another kind of identity fraud, you must report the matter to the relevant organisation. Depending on their advice, you should then alert your local police force.
You should report all lost or stolen documents – such as passports, driving licences, plastic cards, cheque books – to the relevant organisation.
The credit reference agencies will contact lenders on your behalf where fraudulent applications have been made or fraudulent credit accounts opened in order to restore your credit history to its former state.

LabCode|7| : Identity theft

Identity theft happens when fraudsters access enough information about someone’s identity (such as their name, date of birth, current or previous addresses) to commit identity fraud. Identity theft can take place whether the fraud victim is alive or deceased.
If you’re a victim of identity theft, it can lead to fraud that can have a direct impact on your personal finances and could also make it difficult for you to obtain loans, credit cards or a mortgage until the matter is resolved.

Techniques for obtaining and exploiting       personal information for identity theft

Identity thieves typically obtain and exploit personally identifiable information about individuals, or various credentials they use to authenticate themselves, in order to impersonate them. Examples include:

• Rummaging through rubbish for personal information (dumpster diving)
• Retrieving personal data from redundant IT equipment and storage media including PCs, servers, PDAs, mobile phones, USB memory sticks and hard drives that have been disposed of carelessly at public dump sites, given away or sold on without having been properly sanitized
• Using public records about individual citizens, published in official registers such as electoral rolls
• Stealing bank or credit cards, identification cards, passports, authentication tokens ... typically by pickpocketing, housebreaking or mail theft
• Common-knowledge questioning schemes that offer account verification and compromise: "What's your mother's maiden name?", "what was your first car model?", or "What was your first pet's name?", etc.
• Skimming information from bank or credit cards using compromised or hand-held card readers, and creating clone cards
• Using 'contactless' credit card readers to acquire data wirelessly from RFID-enabled passports
• Observing users typing their login credentials, credit/calling card numbers etc. into IT equipment located in public places (shoulder surfing)
• Stealing personal information from computers using breaches in browser security or malware such as Trojan horse keystroke logging programs or other forms of spyware
• Hacking computer networks, systems and databases to obtain personal data, often in large quantities
• Exploiting breaches that result in the publication or more limited disclosure of personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security number or credit card numbers
• Advertising bogus job offers in order to accumulate resumes and applications typically disclosing applicants' names, home and email addresses, telephone numbers and sometimes their banking details
• Exploiting insider access and abusing the rights of privileged IT users to access personal data on their employers' systems
• Infiltrating organizations that store and process large amounts or particularly valuable personal information
• Impersonating trusted organizations in emails, SMS text messages, phone calls or other forms of communication in order to dupe victims into disclosing their personal information or login credentials, typically on a fake corporate website or data collection form (phishing)
• Brute-force attacking weak passwords and using inspired guesswork to compromise weak password reset questions
• Obtaining castings of fingers for falsifying fingerprint identification.
• Browsing social networking websites for personal details published by users, often using this information to appear more credible in subsequent social engineering activities
• Diverting victims' email or post in order to obtain personal information and credentials such as credit cards, billing and bank/credit card statements, or to delay the discovery of new accounts and credit agreements opened by the identity thieves in the victims' names
• Using false pretenses to trick individuals, customer service representatives and help desk workers into disclosing personal information and login details or changing user passwords/access rights (pretexting)
• Stealing cheques (checks) to acquire banking information, including account numbers and bank routing numbers
• Guessing Social Security numbers by using information found on Internet social networks such as Facebook and MySpace
• Low security/privacy protection on photos that are easily clickable and downloaded on social networking sites.
• Befriending strangers on social networks and taking advantage of their trust until private information are given.
  
  
  well now you know what to do to avoid Identity theft :) see you later

LabCode|6|: General packet radio service (GPRS)

General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was originally standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet-switched cellular technologies. It is now maintained by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
The advantages of GPRS are as wide as your imagination takes you. Once activated the connectivity provides you 24X7 presence 365 days. The world is in your plams, just a click away.

• Enables you to use internet any where you want
• Connect it to your laptop or desktop
• Stay connected even in remote areas.
• Download your favourite games or ringtones on your cell phone and visit your favourite web sites.
• Enables you to use all the internet applications
• Offers you several new applications which were not available on GSM network
• Ensures you better speed than GSM network
• Enjoy a continuous wireless internet connection
• Receive and send information as per your requirement.
• Offers you flexibility as much as an internet on your PC

If you have to always stay connected, activate GPRS on your handset. Wherever you go take along whatever you need. You can carry your office and work conveniently by using GPRS. Once again the cell phone is evolving and emerging as the most important communication and connectivity tool. Activate GPRS today and keep in touch always.

I found that video talking about one of thise tools and explain its uses, it's a great video from
analyticalsurvival youtube channel where you can learn a lot about geolocation ,communication, and survival skills.

Remember, know how a tool work make it easy to use it as an evidence.   :) see you later

Labcode|5|: Blood Analysis (part 1: Detecting Blood)

The analysis of the properties and effects of serums (blood, semen, saliva, sweat, or fecal matter) is called serology. We'll concentrate here on the principal tests used to identify blood. According to Henry C. Lee, a forensics expert who has assisted law enforcement in over 6,000 major criminal investigations — including that of O. J. Simpson — blood evidence is found most often in "crimes of violence such as homicide, assault, and sexual assault." It may be in the form of fresh liquid, coagulated, dried, or as a small drop or stain, and each form involves a different method of preservation and collection.

In this LabCode article we will learn:

• What is Blood? (hhh formalities)
• How to detect blood (using Luminol)?
• How to make Luminol using domestically chemicals?
• Where you can buy it?

What is Blood?
Blood constitutes about eight percent of a person's weight (normally about five liters), and it circulates near the surface of the skin. Almost all trauma to the body, therefore, results in the shedding of blood. Its red color makes it readily apparent at crime scenes, and its residues are very difficult to completely remove. Blood residue has even been recovered from 100,000-year-old stone tools.
Laboratory testing can reveal whether a substance is indeed blood, whether the blood is of animal or human origin, and the blood group to which it belongs. This allows investigators to include or exclude persons as perpetrators or victims. The antigens that allow blood group testing, however, deteriorate with age or improper storage.The DNA contained in blood, on the other hand, is less subject to deterioration, and allows near-certain matching of blood residue to individuals with DNA profiling techniques.Through bloodstain pattern analysis, information about events can also be gained from the spatial distribution of bloodstains.
 liquid called plasma makes up about half of the content of blood. Plasma contains proteins that help blood to clot, transport substances through the blood, and perform other functions. Blood plasma also contains glucose and other dissolved nutrients.About half of blood volume is
composed of blood cells:
• Red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues.
• White blood cells, which fight infections.
• Platelets, smaller cells that help blood to clot.

 
How to detect trace of blood?

The most used method is using the Luminol."Luminol (C8H7N3O2) is a versatile chemical that exhibits chemiluminescence, with a striking blue glow, when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent. Luminol is a white-to-pale-yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in most polar organic solvents but is insoluble in water.
Luminol is used by forensic investigators to detect trace amounts of blood left at crime scenes, as it reacts with iron found in hemoglobin. It is used by biologists in cellular assays for the detection of copper, iron, and cyanides, as well as of specific proteins by western blot.
Luminol can be sprayed evenly across the area, and trace amounts of an activating oxidant will cause the luminol to emit a blue glow that can be seen in a darkened room. The glow lasts for about 30 seconds, but the effect can be documented by a long-exposure photograph. It is important that the spraying be evenly applied to avoid a biased impression, such as blood traces appearing to be more concentrated in areas that received more spray. The intensity of the glow does not indicate the original amount present but indicates only the distribution of trace amounts of substances left in the area."-Wikipedia-
here is a video explaning how Luminol is used.

how to make Luminol?
here is a comlete guide to make Luminol using domestically chemicals:

and if you can't make it you can buy it, it is for sale in Amazon for 10$.
See you later :)

LabCode|4|: The Mass Spectrometer

   Did you watch N.C.I.S? Then, can you tell us what was Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) lab babe's name?.... Yes! it's the "Mass spectrometer", today we post an introduction about the general use of Mass spectrometer.

"Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical chemistry technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio and abundance of gas-phase ions.A mass spectrum (plural spectra) is a plot of the ion signal as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. The spectra are used to determine the elemental or isotopic signature of a sample, the masses of particles and of molecules, and to elucidate the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and other chemical compounds. Mass spectrometry works by ionizing chemical compounds to generate charged molecules or molecule fragments and measuring their mass-to-charge ratios.
 In a typical MS procedure, a sample, which may be solid, liquid, or gas, is ionized, for example by bombarding it with electrons. This may cause some of the sample's molecules to break into charged fragments. These ions are then separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio, typically by accelerating them and subjecting them to an electric or magnetic field: ions of the same mass-to-charge ratio will undergo the same amount of deflection.The ions are detected by a mechanism capable of detecting charged particles, such as an electron multiplier. Results are displayed as spectra of the relative abundance of detected ions as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. The atoms or molecules in the sample can be identified by correlating known masses to the identified masses or through a characteristic fragmentation pattern." -Wikipedia-

How the mass spectrometer works?
If something is moving and you subject it to a sideways force, instead of moving in a straight line, it will move in a curve - deflected out of its original path by the sideways force.
Suppose you had a cannonball travelling past you and you wanted to deflect it as it went by you. All you've got is a jet of water from a hose-pipe that you can squirt at it. Frankly, its not going to make a lot of difference! Because the cannonball is so heavy, it will hardly be deflected at all from its original course.
But suppose instead, you tried to deflect a table tennis ball travelling at the same speed as the cannonball using the same jet of water. Because this ball is so light, you will get a huge deflection.
The amount of deflection you will get for a given sideways force depends on the mass of the ball. If you knew the speed of the ball and the size of the force, you could calculate the mass of the ball if you knew what sort of curved path it was deflected through. The less the deflection, the heavier the ball.
The same principle can be applyed to atomic sized particules.

 The instrument consists of three major components:

•     Ion Source: For producing gaseous ions from the substance being studied.

•     Analyzer: For resolving the ions into their characteristics mass components according to their mass-to-charge ratio.

•     Detector System: For detecting the ions and recording the relative abundance of each of the resolved ionic species.

With all the above components, a mass spectrometer should always perform the following processes:

1.     Produce ions from the sample in the ionization source.
2.     Separate these ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio in the mass analyzer.
3.     Eventually, fragment the selected ions and analyze the fragments in a second analyzer.
4.     Detect the ions emerging from the last analyzer and measure their abundance with the detector that converts the ions into electrical signals.
5.     Process the signals from the detector that are transmitted to the computer and control the instrument using feedback.

General Applications of Mass Spectrometry:
•Environmental analysis
•Forensic analysis
•Clinical research
•Proteomics and genomics
•Generation of physico-chemical data
 In the next parts we will talk about the mass spectrometry applications in Forensic analysis.
 
                                                                                                           See You :)

LabCode|3|: Jammers (Part1)

A mobile phone jammer is an instrument used to prevent cellular phones from receiving signals from base stations. When used, the jammer effectively disables cellular phones. These devices can be used in practically any location, but are found primarily in places where a phone call would be particularly disruptive because silence is expected.
Disrupting a cell phone is the same as jamming any other type of radio communication. A cell phone works by communicating with its service network through a cell tower or base station. Cell towers divide a city into small areas, or cells. As a cell-phone user drives down the street, the signal is handed from tower to tower.
A jamming device transmits on the same radio frequencies as the cell phone, disrupting the communication between the phone and the cell-phone base station in the tower.
It's a called a denial-of-service attack. The jammer denies service of the radio spectrum to the cell-phone users within range of the jamming device.

A cell phone Jammer

LabCode|2|: Roaming

Roaming helps ensure that a traveling wireless device (typically a cell phone) is kept connected to a network without breaking the connection. In wireless telecommunications, Traditional Roaming is a general term referring to the ability for a cellular customer to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services, including home data services, when travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using a visited network. For example; should you travel beyond your cell phone company's transmitter range, your cell phone would automatically hop onto another phone company's service, if available.

How does Roaming work?

In order for roaming to work, there are two components involved, the carriers and the phone.

• The Phone :

In order for the phone to be able to connect to wireless mobile operators, other than the one it was purchased from initially, the device must be compatible with the wireless network used by those carriers. In other words, a CDMA phone may not connect to a GSM network abroad, therefore Verizon and Sprint customers may find out that their handset can’t be used in Europe or in other international markets.

Similarly, not all GSM networks operate on the same bands, therefore not all GSM handsets can be used anywhere on Earth, so you should definitely pay attention to your handset’s connectivity characteristics in case you plan to roam a lot.
If you think 4G LTE connectivity will fix that problem, you should know that not all carriers that are adopting the next-gen wireless standard will use the same spectrum for LTE support, which means that not all LTE handsets will have 4G LTE coverage wherever LTE support is available. But we’ll tackle that problem once LTE becomes available in more and more markets

• The Carriers

In addition to the phone’s connectivity features, you also need two carriers to make roaming work, your home carrier and the visited carrier. The two mobile operators have to be bound by a mutually beneficial roaming agreement that lets one’s subscribers use roaming when under the other’s coverage. But don’t worry, most carriers, if not all, already have such agreements in place with most carriers, if not with all.
Why is it so important for them to offer roaming features? First of all, it’s all about marketing. Each carrier, especially major ones, want their subscribers to know that they’ll be able to use the handset, which is purchased in most cases for a subsidized two-year contract, abroad and enjoy the same services. And second of all, roaming agreements between carriers aren’t exactly controlled by a regulator (except in the EU), which means that mobile operators can jack up prices and raise their profit margins when it comes to charging for used voice minutes, SMS and MMS messages, and especially data used when roaming.

Even so, because mobile devices and mobile technology did not appear all of a sudden everywhere at the same time, there are various instances in which certain phones will not work in other countries, and we’re going to tell you why that happens in what follows.

Labcode|1|: Fingerprints

Forensic scientists have used fingerprints in criminal investigations as a means of identification for many years. Fingerprint identification is one of the most important criminal investigation tools due to two features: their persistence and their uniqueness. Persistence refers to the fact that fingerprints do not change over time. The friction ridges which create fingerprints are formed while inside the womb and grow proportionally as the baby grows. Permanent scarring is the only way a fingerprint can change. Uniqueness acknowledges that fingerprints are unique to an individual. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.

In this LabCode article we will learn:

1. What is a fingerprint?
2. How to search for a fingerprint?
3. How to get a fingerprint?
4. How to use a finger print for identification?

1. What is a fingerprint ?

first we need to know what are we talking about exactly: what is the fingerprint? The Oxford dictionary define fingerprint as "An impression or mark made on a surface by a person’s fingertip, able to be used for identifying individuals from the unique pattern of whorls and lines on the fingertips".There is two causes wich make figerprint identification the most important criminal investigation tools:their persistence and their uniqueness. Persistence refers to the fact that fingerprints do not change over time. The friction ridges which create fingerprints are formed while inside the womb and grow proportionally as the baby grows. Permanent scarring is the only way a fingerprint can change. Uniqueness acknowledges that fingerprints are unique to an individual. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.
There are three types of fingerprints that can be found: latent, patent, and plastic. Latent fingerprints are made of the sweat and oil on the skin’s surface. This type of fingerprint is invisible to the naked eye and requires additional processing in order to be seen. This processing can include basic powder techniques or the use of chemicals. Patent fingerprints can be made by blood, grease, ink, or dirt. This type of fingerprint is easily visible to the human eye. Plastic fingerprints are three-dimensional impressions and can be made by pressing your fingers in fresh paint, wax, soap, or tar. Like patent fingerprints, plastic fingerprints are easily seen by the human eye and do not require additional processing for visibility purposes.

2. How to search for a fingerprint?

Locating a fingerprint often requires a vigilant and calculated search. However, in circumstances where the print is visible to the naked eye, finding a fingerprint is relatively easy. The more intricate searches take place when the print is present on a surface but not visible. The type of fingerprint left behind usually determines the amount of time and effort investigators must put into locating the print.
Investigators often follow a two-phase process when searching for fingerprints. The first phase involves looking for patent and plastic prints since they are visible.
Often times, a flashlight is used during this phase. The second phase involves a blind search for latent prints, according to Scientific Evidence[Paul C. Giannelli, Edward J. Imwinkelried, Andrea Roth, and Jane Campbell Moriarty, Scientific Evidence, p. 949 § 16.03 (5th ed. 2012)]. To narrow the search, investigators usually focus on the entry and exits points that the suspect used and any items that appear to have been disturbed, such as overturned lamps or possible weapons.
The type of surface being searched for fingerprints often determines the technique employed by investigator:

• Nonporous Surfaces: A powder technique is usually used to identify latent prints on nonporous surfaces such as glass, marble, metal, plastic, and finished wood.When powder is distributed on the surface, it adheres to the residue deposited from the finger’s touch, allowing investigators to find the print. Often times, to avoid smudging the print, a magnetic powder technique is used in which the powder is poured on the surface and then spread evenly over the surface using a magnetic force instead of spreading the powder with a brush.The color of the powder should contrast with the surface that is being searched to allow better visibility.

• Porous Surfaces: The powder technique is not as effective on porous surfaces such as fabric, unfinished wood, and paper. Instead, investigators often use chemical methods to locate the print such as iodine fuming, silver nitrate, or ninhydrin. When one of these chemicals comes into contact with the chemicals present in the fingerprint residue (natural oils, fats), the print become visual.

• Human Skin:Locating and identifying fingerprints left on human skin is incredibly difficult. According to Scientific Evidence, the first major obstacle is finding the print since the oily residue left by fingers that creates the fingerprint itself is often present on human skin, making it difficult to create a contrast between the surface (skin) and the print. Further, after a print is left on human skin, the oily residue often disperses and is absorbed into the skin, blurring the print. Two hours is the maximum amount of time that a print on skin may be viable.

• Textured Surfaces:Surfaces that are not flat or have a rough surface, such as a painting with brush strokes or a golf ball will make the process of identifying and collecting fingerprints more difficult, but not impossible.

3. How to get a fingerprint?

Here we will talk about tho most used method: using the powder.

• The application: Powders may be applied with a fingerprint brush, a brush with extremely fine fibers designed to hold powder, and deposit it gently on the fingerprint to be revealed, without rubbing away the often delicate residue of the fingerprint itself. They may also be applied by blowing the powder across the fingerprint, or by pouring the powder onto the print, and then blowing away the excess. Magnetic powders are also used, where a fine magnetic powder is held by a magnetic applicator,across the fingerprint. As no bristles touch the surface, this often damages the print less than other methods of developing the print.

• Photographing the fingerprint: After the print is located, it is vital that it is photographed before it is lifted. A photograph captures where the print was located in comparison to other objects and captures the orientation of the print. Further, a photograph can serve as a key piece of identification of a patent or plastic print and can be used to compare and possibly match the print to its source. Photographing the print’s location at the crime scene also guards against tampering of evidence.

• Lifting a print: can be accomplished on either flat surfaces or round surfaces. Lifting a print usually involves a rubber tape with an adhesive surface which is applied to the fingerprint, leaving an imprint on the tape. Often times, a flat object, such as a ruler, will be slowly swiped across the top of the tape to ensure that there are no bubbles or ripples in the tape that will affect the imprint. Next, the tape is carefully peeled off the surface and a plastic cover is placed on the adhesive side of the tape to prevent disruption of the print. Identification information and a description of the location of the print should be written on the back of the tape or card.

            4. How to use a finger print for identification?

Fingerprints come from ridges on the skin. These ridges form patterns. Loops. Arches. Whorls. If one print shows a loop and another a whorl, they came from different people. But if two prints both show loops, they may or may not have come from the same person. To find out, we need to take a closer look.

The ridges on our fingers do all sorts of strange things. They split. They come to an end. They form islands. These are the minutiae — a technical term in the world of fingerprints. We claim two fingerprints are the same if we can count enough minutiae that match.

In a perfect world we’d want a perfect match. But a fingerprint taken from a door handle usually isn’t perfect. So we’re willing to accept “enough” matches. And here’s where the math comes in.
We want enough matches to make the chance of a mistake very, very unlikely — say, one in a million billion. And most mathematical models predict a chance this small or smaller with around a dozen matches. So many fingerprint experts use this “twelve-match guideline” — plus or minus a few matches. When a fingerprint expert takes the witness stand and says he’s absolutely certain two fingerprints match, he means he’s found about twelve or more matching minutiae.