Digital Forensics Case Assignment

Digital Forensics Case Assignment

Digital Forensics Case

Wendell Rush

Justin S. Korber

CSSS 5230

9/30/2014

Digital Forensics Case Study Report

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1. Real Case Detail

This is a case of fraud by stealing information of persons about their credit cards then transfer the amount from credit cards to victim’s current/ saving accounts and then further transfer this money to some other county’s bank account and then enjoy the luxury life style. The main guilty person in this story is Mr. Onwuhara lives in Dallas (Taxas) was prison for 70 months.

Cyber thief graphic

2 Summary of Event

This is a case of fraud by stealing information of persons about their credit cards then transfer the amount from credit cards to victim’s current/ saving accounts and then further transfer this money to some other county’s bank account and then enjoy the luxury life style. This case is taken from the official website of FBI USA.

The case is about the person who committed frauds in the line of credit cards and steals near about 38 million dollars and caused losses near about 13 million losses. He is now prison for the period of 70 months. Following is the detail of FBI team members who worked on this case and trace out the guilty person, following ishe detail of the team.

1. Dana J. Boente ( Acting USA Attorney district of eastern Virginia )

2. Valerie Parlave ( Assistant director and incharge FBI field office)

3. Kathy A. Michalko (Special agent field office USA)

4. Earl L. Cook (Chief Police Officer)

5. Robert Mathieson (USA FBI Marchel officer in Virginia)

6. Claude M. Hilton. (USA district judge)

He has been escaped for near about 4 years and during this course of time Onwuhara was the American’s most Wanted person. He was arrested from Australia and then Govt. of Australia handed over him to the Govt. of America. He has been legally announced guilty on 21-06-2013. After the assessment of the evidences and by hearing the victims the district court of USA announced 70 months prison for him and gives the immediate implementation s (Casey, Eoghan, 2004).

As per press release in Texas USA it was published that Mr. Onwuhara was a ring dealer and have a group of people and with the help of those people they successfully committed crime and did not left any kind of proof to be traced out so that the victim is really unable to find out the guilty person or even the victims do not have the idea who is the actual person behind this scene (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002). One of the victims in Washington D.C has logged complaint regarding these fraudulent activities which make the FBI department alert regarding this crime. Than continuous instances were came into front and day by day number of complaints increased.

Mr. Onwuhara’s pattern of committing crime is very smart and well planned. First he gathered information by using fee-based database web search and trace out potential victims or you can say account holders who have huge amount of balances in their (HELOC) accounts (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002).

The information he has searched about is account holder’s name, their address, their DOB and the SS number (Social Security). When they successfully gathered this information than they were able to proceed further and convert their plan into action. This was not the act of only one person that was a group of people who did this the whole task very smartly (Casey, Eoghan, 2004).

Once they select a victim and gathered the relevant information than now they started gathered victim’s other information by using online database system to obtain information like mother name or maiden name and then they use this information in security questions. The next step was to gathered reports of credit and balances of accounts for the purpose of verify personal information. By going through this procedure now they were equipped of all information about the victim they needed to be successful in their plan (Gunsch, G 2002).

By implementing the plan and progressed further now those conspirators have called the financial institutions and behaved like a genuine account holder and gave instructions to the victim’s financial institution to transfer the maximum money from HELCO accounts to victim’s daily used accounts (Current / Savings). And then from victim’s daily used accounts they have transferred money to some domestic or to some overseas accounts (Gunsch, G 2002).

And from those accounts conspirators withdrawal the whole amount and escaped from scene (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002). Those criminals used caller ID and services of spoofing, mobiles with prepaid connections, wireless PC access cards and they transferred the landline numbers of the victims to save themselves from tracing by the Police department. Once they withdrawal the money and transferred it to the desired place they distribute it according to decided ratios among all conspirators. Following are names of criminals who have been found guilty in this fraudulent activity (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002).

1. “Obinna” Orji (He is the one who lead the team and yet not founded by the law enforcement departments of district Virginia (USA) till has been charged in August 2008, then arrested in DEC 2012 founded guilty and sentenced 72 months prison. Date was 17 May 2013.

2. “Henry” lived in Florida was punished for 88 months prison date was 11 Sep 2009.

3.” Abel Nnabue “lived in Dallas was punished for 54 months on 30 Jan 2009.

4. “Precious Matthews” prison for 51 months on 13 Feb 2009.

5. “Brandy Anderson” lived in Dallas sentenced for 24 months’ probation under supervision and 2 months of confinement under community on 20 Feb 2009.

6. Ezenwa Onyedebelu also lived in Dallas was punished for 37 months on 27 February 2009.

7.” Ezenwa Onyedebelu” lived in Nigeria was punishes for 42 months date was 6 March 2009.

8. Paula Gipson lived in Dallas was Punished for 15 months date was 4 September 2009.

This case was investigated by FBI’s situated at US Secret Service Field Office Washington and the Department of Police Alexandria. US Marshals Service also provide assistance. That was really a team effort and continuous focused on target and to approach conspirators all the team members put their efforts day by night. This could be possible by the genuine efforts and coordination of all mentioned above departments.

Contribution of Federal Police department Australia is also appreciable because they have traced out the conspirator’s locations who hided in Sydney and helped in evidence recovery. A copy of this case and relevant details are also available at http:www.justice.gov/usao/ and you can read the case from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories
3. How was it detected??

After receiving so many complaints from the poor victims the FBI has been alerted and started to research the case with the coordination of different law enforcement departments. First they check the calls record that have been made by the conspirators to the victims financial institutions by tracing those calls they came to know that all the techniques used by the conspirators are well planned because they did not leave any kind of proof. They take the IP addresses of the system from which amounts have been transferred from victim’s account to conspirator’s accounts (Leigland, R, 2004).

By tracing location of wireless PC connection FBI was able to access all the record and information used in their system. Those conspirators also used mobile phones with prepaid connection. FBI special digital Forensic labs have successfully recovered all the numbers where phone calls have been made by these conspirators. Then they recover the data of their wireless PCs and review mobile calls history. With the help of this FBI department understand the techniques of their fraud that how they plan, trap and make a fraud (Gunsch, G 2002).

Forensic digital lab helps the team in tracing out those accounts where conspirators transfer the money for the purpose of distribution among them. By tracing the particular bank they have also traced out all the relevant details of conspirators. This detail included their names, physical appearance, from where they were actually belonging and onward detail of their families (Leigland, R, 2004).

With the help of this detail now police was able to trace them out more effectively. Now next action was to catch them and for this they deputed a full team. Some of those have been caught early and some of those ran away promptly from the country. One of the members named onwuhara was run away from USA and ran away to Sydney (Australia) but he also have been caught with the help of Australian Police department. They have traced him out and handed over to the USA authorities and further he sentenced to prison.
4. Key pieces of digital evidences

Digital evidences include all those evidences which are being used by the criminals while committing crimes. Court of law also accepting those evidences basis on the sensitivity and intensity of their use. For example Emails, telephonic calls, face book, any other social media have been used for this, telecommunications and all such things which have been observed for the purpose of investigation. From last few years use of digital evidences has been increased due to excessive use of them by the criminals. Court of law accepts these evidences if those are authenticated by the digital forensic lab (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002).

In the above mentioned case the digital evidences that are being used are prepaid connection mobile phones, wireless internet connections and personal wireless PCs of conspirators (Casey, Eoghan, 2004). And with the help of these digital evidences FBI came to know all the details about criminals and caught them accordingly. First they collect raw data from these digital evidences just like their systems IP’s addresses, their mobile calls history and all the information available in their PCs. And with the help of this information they have traced out their bank accounts and so forth all their relevant details. Those digital evidences also work as a source of proof against them because all fraudulent banking transactions details and all fake calls made by them have been restored by the forensic digital lab of FBI (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002).
5. Volume Of digital evidences

Crimes relevant to digital forensic are basically its self-evident for all because retrieve data and collect the relevant information is too much easy for forensic labs. In this case volume of digital evidences is vast because multiple sources have been used. If we particularly talking about the above case then criminals used multiple digital devices to commit the crime just like landline numbers, prepaid connection mobile phones, PCs with wireless connections, fee based websites and online bank accounts transactions.

Those criminals had taken all the precautions when planning and implementing this but digital devices are very easy to traced and easy to recover even deleted data from these devices. So this could be considered advantage of the day that now if crimes are increasing by using the modern technology then the other aspect is that it has also the solution for the every existing problem.
6. Attribution

This Cybercrime is particularly relevant to individuals who have been victimized and their money have been stolen by fraudulently gathering their information and then use this information to transfer their money from HOSL accounts to the victims checking accounts and then further transfer those funds into the desired accounts from where it was drawled near about 36 million dollars have been transferred by conspirators fraudulently and their victims spread over the state (Leigland, R, 2004).

Although Govt. have played recognized role in tracing them out and put them behind the bars with the coordination of different law enforcement departments in the district of Virginia.
7. Main concepts of the case

By doing detail analysis of this case it is now very easy for me to discuss its core elements and elaborate it more appropriately. I have gone through many sites and articles to develop level best understanding regarding Cybercrimes and role of digital forensic labs.

In that real case the digital crime was fraudulently transferred money from the victim’s account in to conspirator’s account. And to commit this crime the group of all criminals used digital devices such as PC’s, landline, mobile phones online banking system etc.

The main target area were those people who has sufficient funds in their accounts and those who are using loan facility with HOSL accounts, first they identified those people by using fee based site and collect information about those people who have millions of deposit in their account . And have started to collect information regarding their statement of accounts and credit card statements (Michael G. Noblett; Mark M. Pollitt; Lawrence A. Presley, 2000). First they collect raw data from these digital evidences just like their systems IP’s addresses, their mobile calls history and all the information available in their PCs. Then target a particular person and stole all the money that he/she has in account (Michael G. Noblett; Mark M. Pollitt; Lawrence A. Presley, 2000). So this could be considered advantage of the day that now if crimes are increasing by using the modern technology then the other aspect is that it has also the solution for the every existing problem.

When victims started to complaint than FBI department have alert. They firstly take the details from their accounts and investigate from relevant financial organization. By checking the details FBI came to know that it’s a cybercrime and certain group of people doing this from past few years. FDL (Forensic Digital Lab) play an important role in identifying the ways of fraud activity and also trace out the conspirators. And have started to collect information regarding their statement of accounts and credit card statements. Then target a particular person and stole all the money that he/she has in account. If we particularly talking about the above case then criminals used multiple digital devices to commit the crime just like landline numbers, prepaid connection mobile phones, PCs with wireless connections, fee based websites and online bank accounts transactions (Gunsch, G 2002).

Role of digital evidences never been ignored because those were the main source of tracing the guilty people. By using the data that were used by those criminals FBI was able to catch them, by tracing the mobile calls FBI realized that there were a group of people involved in that case who successfully made victims fool, stole their money and ran away. Suppose if no digital evidences were available than that’s nearly impossible for the Police department to catch them and put all of them behind the bars. And with the help of these digital evidences FBI came to know all the details about criminals and caught them accordingly (Michael G. Noblett; Mark M. Pollitt; Lawrence A. Presley, 2000).

Forensic analysis was conducted to collect proper evidences that can be helpful and useful in the investigation of this event. USA Forensic lab is equipped with all modern technology that is demanded now days. So with the help of other law enforcement departments first they structured the case made line of action and then implemented all the techniques that have been required to sole this matter. This group was created trouble for almost all the state, different complaints have been logged on weekly basis but nobody knows who is actually involved behind this illegal activity (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002).

By analyzing digital data FBI have found success and all the criminals sentenced to prison, in district court of law all digital evidences were presented on the basis of those evidences court make decision about their crucial crime. So in this case’s importance of digital evidences are self-evident nobody can ignore their importance in the modern era (Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, 2002). So we can say that fast telecommunication, internet, social sites and cell phones make easier for criminals to influence the people life badly but on the other side of picture it’s also a very helping tool to trace the garbage of society and put them all at their place.

References

· Michael G. Noblett; Mark M. Pollitt; Lawrence A. Presley, (2000). “Recovering and examining computer forensic evidence” . Retrieved September 17, 2014

· Leigland, R, (2004). “A Formalization of Digital Forensics” .

· A Yasinsac; RF Erbacher, DG Marks, MM Pollitt (2003). “Computer forensics education”. IEEE Security & Privacy. CiteSeerX : 10.1.1.1.9510 .

· Warren G. Kruse; Jay G. Heiser, (2002). Computer forensics: incident response essentials . Addison-Wesley. p. 392. ISBN 0-201-70719-5 . Retrieved September 17, 2014

· Gunsch, G (2002). “An Examination of Digital Forensic Models” .

· Adams, R. (2012). “‘The Advanced Data Acquisition Model (ADAM): A process model for digital forensic practice” .

· Casey, Eoghan, (2004). Digital Evidence and Computer Crime, Second Edition . Elsevier. ISBN 0-12-163104-4 .