Hackers should beware bogus UPS couriers bearing handcuffs…
Alexander J Martin of The Register describes the arrest of British student Lauri Love, who allegedly hacked the FBI and NSA, and is wanted for extradition by the United States:
Lauri Love was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 early in the evening of 25 October 2013, when a National Crime Agency officer wearing dungarees and posing as a UPS courier told Love’s mother that Lauri himself had to come to the porch to collect his delivery.
In his dressing gown and pyjamas, Love confirmed his identity and was then informed of the ruse and handcuffed. Over the next five hours a total of 14 NCA officers attended the property wearing agency-branded windbreakers, which were easy visible to the neighbours.
Six of these officers had been tasked with searching for digital media which are alleged to contain evidence that the 28-year-old had criminally accessed private sector, military and government computer systems in the United States.
The agency believed their courier ruse had been necessary because, they claimed, intelligence had suggested that Love’s computer equipment could be encrypted “at the press of a button” which, if activated, would “frustrate the object of the search,” though even with this successfully executed approach the officers still collected encrypted devices.
Quite what UPS thinks of its brand being used by the police in this way is unclear…
Last month, the National Crime Agency (NCA) failed in its court attempt to force Love into disclose his passwords, and decrypt seized computers. The extradition proceedings, however, are ongoing.