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Rogue cellphone-tracking devices detected in Washington, feds say
CBS "News" ^ | April 3, 2018

Posted on 04/03/2018 12:49:55 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

For the first time, the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages. The use of what are known as cellphone-site simulators by foreign powers has long been a concern, but American intelligence and law enforcement agencies -- which use such eavesdropping equipment themselves -- have been silent on the issue until now.

In a March 26 letter to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged that last year it identified suspected unauthorized cell-site simulators in the nation's capital. The agency said it had not determined the type of devices in use or who might have been operating them. Nor did it say how many it detected or where.

The devices work by tricking mobile devices into locking onto them instead of legitimate cell towers, revealing the exact location of a particular cellphone. More sophisticated versions can eavesdrop on calls by forcing phones to step down to older, unencrypted 2G wireless technology. Some attempt to plant malware.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Russia; US: District of Columbia; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: china; craigtimberg; districtofcolumbia; imsicatchers; oregon; ronwyden; russia; stingrays; surveillance; washingtoncompost; washingtonpost
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1 posted on 04/03/2018 12:49:55 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Ok for them to spy on you. Not upset when they put them out to invade your privacy.


2 posted on 04/03/2018 12:53:23 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They aren’t cheap but I used to work at a company that had a bunch of them. We used them to test phones.


3 posted on 04/03/2018 12:53:35 PM PDT by jrestrepo (See you all in Galt's gulch)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“rogue devices”. Sure, it’s not like the NSA, FBI or CIA would be spying on politicians.


4 posted on 04/03/2018 1:00:37 PM PDT by Stevenc131
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To: Stevenc131
Here's how it works: MI6 spies on U.S. Citizens in Washington, D.C., (legal 'foreign soil intelligence gathering' from their perspective,) and we spy on British Subjects in the U.K. (legal 'foreign soil intelligence gathering' from our perspective.)

Then we exchange information with each other.

5 posted on 04/03/2018 1:09:26 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The wireless carriers are complicit in the use of Sting Rays. Every time one of them is fired up their Network Operations Centers instantly detect it.

Operation of a Sting Ray directly violates two provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 that have NO law enforcement exemptions.

This is why the Feds give these toys to local PDs who use them as directed and why they will let a court case be dismissed rather than reveal what they are actually doing. How the .gov gets away with this defies rational explanation.

6 posted on 04/03/2018 1:10:51 PM PDT by atomic_dog
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To: atomic_dog

“How the .gov gets away with this defies rational explanation.”

Not really. The Feds routinely do things that would land a “citizen” in a Federal penitentiary.

L


7 posted on 04/03/2018 1:16:33 PM PDT by Lurker (President Trump isn't our last chance. President Trump is THEIR last chance.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

More clear - ok fr our govt to spy on you with these , but get pissy when they arent the spies.


8 posted on 04/03/2018 1:23:03 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: jrestrepo

Since you seem to have some expertise, I will ask you about this aspect.

“The devices work by tricking mobile devices into locking onto them instead of legitimate cell towers, revealing the exact location of a particular cellphone.”

I say BS. It cannot reveal the exact location. It can only reveal a DISTANCE from the Stingray device, just like cell phone towers can do.

You would have to lock onto two different towers (or stingray devices) to establish an exact(within several hundred feet) location.


9 posted on 04/03/2018 1:37:37 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I found THREE of them in SPOKANE COUNTY.


10 posted on 04/03/2018 1:38:39 PM PDT by BullDog108 (.A Smith & Wesson beats four aces!)
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To: jrestrepo

P.S. Of course, the stingray could get the cell phone to transmit it’s GPS coordinates back to the stingray device, but my question to you would be, does it do that ?


11 posted on 04/03/2018 1:39:32 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjjwfa—57aAhVmqlQKHTGkD_EQFggoMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FStingray&usg=AOvVaw0ulB_JJjJWNyQELCaNy1yk

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiShYzT-57aAhWHiVQKHRxcCJwQFghzMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2016%2F09%2F12%2Flong-secret-stingray-manuals-detail-how-police-can-spy-on-phones%2F&usg=AOvVaw3whx4JCKqszO6MBlKFN6eg


12 posted on 04/03/2018 1:40:38 PM PDT by BullDog108 (.A Smith & Wesson beats four aces!)
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To: UCANSEE2

It completely takes over your phone and INSTALLS MALWARE


13 posted on 04/03/2018 1:41:17 PM PDT by BullDog108 (.A Smith & Wesson beats four aces!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Stingrays....
Gone Wild


14 posted on 04/03/2018 1:41:22 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
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To: BullDog108

How does one find them?


15 posted on 04/03/2018 1:50:54 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: MeanWestTexan

You need special RF equipment and a hybrid smartphone. Otherwise, you would not HAVE A CLUE that you are being hijacked.


16 posted on 04/03/2018 2:07:50 PM PDT by BullDog108 (.A Smith & Wesson beats four aces!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What, the feds don’t like the competition?


17 posted on 04/03/2018 3:37:54 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: atomic_dog

“How the .gov gets away with this defies rational explanation.”........

You haven’t seen anything yet. Why not ask a simpler question, why the hell is Hitlary still walking the streets? Yes, the swamp IS infected and BIGLY!


18 posted on 04/03/2018 4:23:27 PM PDT by DaveA37
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To: Oldeconomybuyer; ransomnote; Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; ...

p


19 posted on 04/03/2018 6:41:35 PM PDT by bitt (The first to squeal gets the best deal.)
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To: BullDog108
It completely takes over your phone and INSTALLS MALWARE

So.... it's like Facebook or Twitter ?

20 posted on 04/03/2018 10:14:08 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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