Police bust smartphone tapping ring
The Israel Police have arrested 22 people suspected of distributing and installing smartphone bugging software. The police searched 11 bugging equipment businesses and private investigators. The gag order on the case was lifted today. The Police National Fraud Squad and Computer Crimes Division carried out the investigation.
The suspects allegedly distributed and installed the bugging equipment, and even advertised their product on the Internet. They are suspected of planting bugging software, bugging, and invasion of privacy.
The police say that the software was designed to be used in two ways on smartphones: controlling spyware, which sent information about all incoming and outgoing calls and SMS. On the basis of this information, the victims’ smartphones could be controlled to hear conversations in real time as well as turn them into remote listening devices to bug the surroundings. Another software sent this and other information, such as GPS data, to a special Gmail address set up for the listener.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on September 19, 2011
By on 21/09/2011