Month: June 2014

Following a 5 month investigation the Police Criminal Investigation unit of PSP Portimão arrested on 19^th June at 0100 hrs a person aged 34 years, for possession and trafficking of narcotic drugs, in the center of Portimão.

Items seized were 35 doses of heroin, 26 doses of cocaine and 25 €, suspected to be the proceeds from the sale of narcotics.

Later, at about 10.15 hrs , following the execution of search warrants at a house and a car, a man aged 29 years and a woman aged 32 years were arrested for drug trafficking. As a result of the searches,1860 individual doses of heroin, 2185 individual doses of cocaine, 1 car, 5 phones, 2 cameras, 2 computers, 1 precision scale, about 1200 Euros in cash and various materials involved  in the handling and packaging of narcotics were seized.

The suspect will be present at the Court of Portimão on 20^th June.

Building on the success of our series of our wildfire prevention and environment protection seminars, the next in the series will be held in Messines on Thursday 26th June 2014 from 1730 to 1930 hrs and in Silves on 4^th July 2014 at the same time.

This time the seminars will be in a slightly different format; the first half from 1730 to 1830 hrs being in Portuguese and the second part from 1830 to 1930 hrs in English. The events are being organized jointly by Safe Communities Algarve and GNR Silves and will include the participation of the Municipal Civil Protection Agency. The GNR will be represented by the Commander of GNR Silves Captain Antonio Ramos and his presentation will cover the work of the GNR SEPNA concerning forest fire prevention and environmental protection.

If you live in a rural area these are important events at the start of the critical fire period.

The Messines event will be held at the Junta de Fregusia de Messines and the Silves Seminar will be held at the Public Library. Those wishing to attend are requested to register by contacting Safe Communities Algarve at info@safecommunitiesalgarve.com or on 913045093

 

Although reported in Spain this is a scam involving English speaking fraudsters to be aware of.

On 3rd June 2014, The technological Research Unit of the Spanish National Police reported that they had recently received several inquiries and complaints from people who have been victims of a fraud committed over the telephone. Those affected received a call from a person speaking English, with an accent of southern Asia, posing as a member of the technical support of leading multinational software.

The technician informs the user of a security problem on the computer and asks the user to remotely access your computer to fix it. With control of the PC in their hands, the authors demand money to install a security system, and if the affected person decides not to pay, they will block the computer.

The vast majority of people affected by these malicious calls are in English-speaking countries, mainly North America and the UK, although specialists in technological research of the National Police have identified the first cases of this fraud in Spain.

The first victims in our country are scattered in various provinces as Segovia, Cordoba and Cadiz and one of them has come to lose about 200 euros. This phone fraud in particular, communication is done in English and the number from which the call is made hidden or sometimes starts with different international codes appears.

Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this fraud

–         If you are not a customer or have not requested assistance, ignore phone calls made on behalf of the service of any company.

–         Do not allow access to your computer to any unknown person

–         Do not pay any monetary amount or provide information about your credit card to pay for services you did not request

In the case of falling into deception is recommended that you contact your Internet service provider to check your network connection and verify if any unlawful access to your router has taken place. If you have been defrauded then in Portugal you should report the matter to the Judicial Police

The Portuguese Naval authority is to launch an investigation after one of it’s sailors was arrested in Moncarpacho by the GNR in possession of 30 kgs equal to 150,000 doses of pollen hashish. He was also carrying a Glock 9mm firearm.

He was accompanied by another person whose details are as yet unknown. Both men were from Lisbon. When approached local media the Navy had no information on the case but will open an investigation.

The Minister on Interior Miguel Macedo, announced on 28th May 2014 that 5000 civilians are to join the PSP and GNR.

This is to make up for staff loses that have taken placed between 2009 and 2013.

 

Worldwide alert – Over £60 million losses in GameOver Zeus Malware attacks

Alerts have have been issued by the National Crime Agency in the UK, FBI, other law enforcement agencies as far away as Australia and carried in the media and was on Sky News today. Computer users worldwide in particular those doing their banking on-line have been warned to ensure that their computer security protection is up to date.

In the UK thousands of computer users were warned today (2nd June) that they have two weeks to take action to protect their machines against a powerful computer virus used to extort millions of pounds from victims worldwide.The National Crime Agency said the two-week window had been opened after an operation led by the FBI managed to take control of servers used to control the “highly sophisticated” malicious software which has been stealing personal and financial data worldwide.

More than 15,000 machines in the United Kingdom are believed to have been infected with the virus, known as GameOver Zeus, which has been tailored by a criminal gang based in Russia and the Ukraine to search for files that will allow access to banking or financial information. The FBI believes that GameOver Zeus has been responsible for $100m (£60m) in losses.

According to FBI estimates, nearly 250,000 computers worldwide have been infected with CryptoLocker since it emerged in April and it has so far been used to extort payments of more than $27m (£16m). Up to a million machines worldwide are thought to have been infected with GameOver Zeus.

Internet service providers will now contact thousands of customers believed to have been affected by Gameover Zeus, which is distributed via links or attachments in unsolicited emails, offering advice on how to update anti-virus software to disable the virus. A website set up to provide this information appeared to be offline last night.

Andy Archibald, Deputy Director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said: “Nobody wants their personal financial details, business information or photographs of loved ones to be stolen or held to ransom by criminals. By making use of this two-week window, huge numbers of people in the UK can stop that from happening to them.” Mr Archibald continues: “Those committing cybercrime impacting the UK are often highly-skilled and operating from abroad. The NCA and its partners are alive to the threat, and pursuing new and collaborative ways to tackle and disrupt the perpetrators.”

Tony Neate, our CEO here at Get Safe Online, also commented: “Whether you find online security complicated or confusing, or simply haven’t thought about keeping your personal or office computers safe for a while, now is the time to take action. Our message is simple: update your operating system and make this a regular occurrence, update your security software and use it and, think twice before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails.”

The warning comes after the FBI and agencies in 10 other countries claimed success in their efforts to crack down on the criminal gang behind the viruses by launching a simultaneous attack on servers used by the gang to control their operation.

The GameOver Zeus malware creates a “botnet”, a network of computers that spread the viruses and transfer banking information back to the gang. Information received by the criminals is then used to initiate or hijack electronic money transfers and direct money into bank accounts overseas.

The FBI said on Monday that it believed it had identified a ringleader of the gang, a Syrian-born Russian called Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, who remains at large but is now facing 14 criminal charges alleging that he is the “administrator” of GameOver Zeus. He is also accused of being a leader of the “tightly knit gang” behind CyberLocker. There were unconfirmed reports last night that one of the suspects is British.

James Cole, the US Deputy Attorney General, said: “These schemes were highly sophisticated and immensely lucrative, and the cyber criminals did not make them easy to reach or disrupt.”

From a charity worker in London to a plastics manufacturer in Pennsylvania, the victims of Gameover Zeus and CyberLocker viruses are spread across the world and from all walks of life.

The FBI said last night that it had charged a suspected ringleader of the gang behind the malware with involvement in wire fraud after $824,000 (£491,000) was taken from the bank account of Haysite Reinforced Plastics in northwestern Pennsylvania in a single day in 2011.

Neither “botnets” nor “ransomware” are new. But investigators have been taken aback by the sophistication of these particular viruses. According to research by the University of Kent, up to 40 per cent of victims of CyberLocker have decided to pay the ransom, potentially raising million of pounds for the gang.

Anti-cybercrime experts today advised computer users to update their internet security software and download a free tool to thwart the powerful viruses.

The National Crime Agency advised users to consult the Government-backed getsafeonline.org website to download the tailored anti-virus software provided by eight companies. But Get Safe Online apologised on Monday after its website crashed under the number of requests to view its content.

In a statement, chief executive Tony Neate said: “We have been overwhelmed by the interest of those trying to take action to protect themselves by visiting our page.”

The situation in Portugal is unknown but computer users are advised to view the National Crime Agency website page for advice concerning the malware attack

In the early hours of 28th May a 40 year old British woman was stabbed 14 times in the back after she returned home with a 22 year old man she met in a bar whilst celebrating her birthday in Albufeira.

At around 0530 hrs following the attack she managed to flee and asked for help in the street.

The suspected culprit was later arrested by the GNR at a bus station close by and said that he did not remember anything. He appeared to be either drunk or had taken drugs.

The police later recovered a kitchen knife.

It is reported the family are shocked as the youth had lived in the area with his grandparents who are also British and are considered by all to be a quiet person and well behaved.

The victim from Liverpool has subsequently claimed that the culprit “spiked her drink” and passed out. When she awoke with the stabbing the man cried out that “he had killed Maddie whilst stabbing her”!!

Comment

Draw your own conclusions.

 

On 28th May 2014, the GNR arrested two men who had earlier stolen 200 meters of copper cable owned by PT Communications.

Also seized was a van and cutting equipment used in connection with the theft.

Comment

There seems to be an increase in reports of copper theft at present – mainly copper cable.

On 28th May 2014, the PSP Lagos arrested two women suspected of drug trafficking. The police operation lasted the full day and included searches of various houses.

In addition to the arrests a total of 442 doses of herion, 220 doses of cocaine and 24 doses of hashish were seized.

On 28th May 2014, the GNR arrested two men aged 31 and 47 years for theft after the two broke into the Centro Hipico Luisitania, stealing articles to the value of around €7000.

The culprits entered the property after breaking a fence and two windows and stole two screens, a sound system, alcohol and around 200 meters of copper wire. The center was due to have its official opening on 1st June.

The two men were later arrested at an abandoned house near a beach in Ferragudo when loading the articles into a van.