Ring, ring, it’s Rod

Press ‘3’ for corruption
You can no longer buy a Senate seat from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but you can buy “his” ringtones. FunMobility.com, a company based in Pleasanton, Calif., has released five new “Blagotones”... Two of the funniest ringtones are called “Wiretap” and have such quotes from an impersonator saying, “If I don’t get what I want ... I’ll just take the Senate seat myself” and “Our recommendation is to fire all the [expletive] people ... and get us some editorial support” (referring to Blagojevich’s alleged attempt to pressure the Chicago Tribune). (more)

This was my first close look at the ringtone biz.
Did you know these things cost $8.99 ...per month!?!?
Sorta takes the edge off of Blago's alleged crimes.

Thus, the hunter becomes the hunted...

Germany - German prosecutors on Wednesday said one person has been arrested in a scandal at Deutsche Telekom AG that involved monitoring managers' call records to track possible leaks.

Media reports have identified the suspect as Klaus T., a former head of Telekom's division for internal investigations. According to the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, he is suspected of fraud for embezzlement and authorizing payments for business that violates company policy. (more)

Spybusters Tip #386 - Your Possessed Computer

Is your computer acting a little freaky?
Are you seeing random mouse movements?
Is the 'caps lock' turning on and off by itself?
Is your computer typing random garbage?
Or, burping up odd phrases?
"Who you gonna call?"
In this case, not us!
Spybusters Tip #386 to the rescue...
Check your USB ports for this.

Cheney Understands the Power of Eavesdropping

In a chilling, unapologetic interview with ABC News, the vice president did nothing to dispel his reputation as the hardest of hard-liners in the war on terror... Wiretapping? "It's worked. It's been successful," he said, brushing off constitutional quibbles. (more)

No doubt about it. Bugs and wiretaps are extremely effective... which is why businesses inspect their sensitive areas quarterly to make sure electronic surveillance is not being used against them!

Leaks Are Costly ($310,760.00 in this case)

UK - A police inquiry into the leaking of information, which ended with a judge clearing a Milton Keynes journalist, cost £205,000 it has been revealed. (more)
Conversely, preventing leaks is cheap.

SpyCam Story #502 - The Laws Catch Up

Ohio - The State Legislature House Concurs with the following Senate Amendment...
HB 74 SPYING -- To make spying or eavesdropping upon a minor in a state of nudity for the purpose of sexual gratification or arousal a felony of the fifth degree under all circumstances. 93-0 (more)

Wiretaps in the land of Nazar Boncuk

TURKEY - Embassies wiretap phone conversations, expert claim. Computer and Program Engineers Foundation head Yılmaz Sönmez has claimed that foreign embassies in Turkey frequently wiretap phone conversations.

“Wiretapping is conducted quite easily in Turkey. Even a 17-year-old youngster can do it. Anyone who has YTL 500 ($327.00) can download wiretapping programs available on the Internet. It is foreign embassies that are most busy bugging phones in Turkey,” Sönmez asserted while briefing a parliamentary commission established to examine allegations that a top Republican People’s Party (CHP) member had been bugged. (more)

Turning a Blind Eye

UK - Once, Britain was the most watched nation in the world, with more than 4 million CCTV cameras monitoring our every move.

But now in these difficult economic times, it seems that Big Brother isn't actually watching, in fact no one is.

As cash-strapped police forces and councils around the UK are forced to tighten their belts in the recession, CCTV cameras around town centres are being left unmanned as they can't afford to pay anyone to watch out for crime as it happens. (more)

What Does Harry Caul Do On His Vacation?

You might catch him at the Dubai Marriott attending...
ISS World - Hi Tech Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Gathering Conference/Expo 24-26 February 2009

"TeleStrategies invites you and your colleagues to attend Intelligence Support Systems for Lawful Interception, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Gathering Conference and Exhibition scheduled on 24-26 February 2009 at JW Marriott Hotel, Dubai.
This ISS World program will feature over 91 LEA/Intell Electronic Surveillance and Communications Monitoring Training sessions and over 40 vendors exhibiting the latest in High Technology Network Interception, Intelligence Gathering and Criminal Investigation products."

Five Conference Tracks...
• Lawful Interception Solutions and Products
• Organized Crime, Criminal Investigative Analysis and Intelligence Gathering
• Telecom Call Data Retention and Handoff Solutions
• Mobile Location, Surveillance and Signal Intercept
• LEA/Intell/DoD Communication Monitoring and Surveillance Training
(more)

Q. What Do Former Spies Do?

A. Freelance spying!
The recent cyber attack on the U.S. military's classified computer network has been traced to a front company run by several former Russian KGB or Federal Security Service spies... (more)

Hollywood Wiretapper Gets 15-Years

CA - Hollywood's disgraced private investigator to the stars shuffled in shackles into a federal courtroom Monday and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in a celebrity wiretapping scandal.

The sentence was close to the 16 years sought by federal prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer ordered Pellicano to forfeit $2 million. The judge did not give the former sleuth credit for time served, meaning he will serve nearly all of the sentence.

Dressed in a green jailhouse jumpsuit, Anthony Pellicano, 65, blew a kiss to family members as he was led into court. (more)

HD Spycam Truly Crushes Employee Morale

via Wired...
The PR company's email begins thus: "You've never seen a camera like this." And it's true. The Digital Window from Scallop Imaging is a rather neat mix of hack and paranoia, a device cobbled together from five cellphone camera lenses, an Ethernet powered box and software which stitches the whole lot together for a seven megapixel, 15 frames per second, 180º view.

To further increase employee paranoia, you'll never know when the camera is looking at you. Because of the 180º view and high-definition, a digital zoom combined with digital pan mean the the cameras never move when looking around. (more) (more) (manufacturer)

World's Greenest & Cheapest Shredder

"Fast, efficient and easy to use, these 10-bladed scissors cut and shred at the same time. They slice through credit cards, destroy personal documents, paperwork, and bills so no one can see your discarded private information." (more)

Wiretap Victims Lash Out at PI

CA - Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano isn't the only person imprisoned as a result of his wiretaps of the rich and famous. His victims say they have never been able to free themselves from the emotional and financial fallout caused by his crimes.

A former reporter says she has nightmares about being hunted and raped. A mother copes with her daughter being mocked by other kids and their parents. An actress who once appeared in a popular television series says she has found little work since.

They are among the victims who submitted letters to the federal judge who is scheduled to sentence Pellicano on Monday. The former private eye is in custody after being convicted of a total of 78 counts, including wiretapping, racketeering and wire fraud, in two separate trials earlier this year. (more)

Business Espionage: World Cup Spying

Egyptian club Al Ahly's coach Friday angrily accused Mexican side Pachuca of spying on a team training session ahead of their crucial Club World Cup clash. "Three spies from Pachuka came to inspect our practice today. It's not fair. We didn't watch their practice. It's not fair," said coach Manuel Jose after their training session on Friday. (more)