4 ms·

Encrypted Chat An0m was a FBI honeypot Used to take down global criminal network

52 points by rmm 5y ago

caf 5y ago
This story is wild. The AFP and FBI apparently hatched up this encrypted chat app between them, then seeded it into the criminal world through undercover agents passing it on to a known drug trafficker. Three years later it's ended up with 11,000 people using it all over the world, all their conversations going straight into the rozzas' databases. Hundreds of simultaneous raids and arrests across 18 countries.
- rmm 5y ago
  apparently the idea came together after having 'a couple of beers'. Very Australian. ...the idea for the AN0M app was developed 'over a couple of beers' between Australia and US law enforcement officers in 2018. "I wasn't there, but as you know, some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers," Commissioner Kershaw said.
  - adamparsons 5y ago
    Honestly I burst out laughing at that quote. I'm sure many devs here can attest to the wild ideas that come out of after work beers that often end up being hilariously useful.
  - asddubs 5y ago
    I mean it does seem like the kind of thing where it's an obviously good idea for them to do, it's all about the implementation
  - netizen-936824 5y ago
    It is quite interesting, that they were consuming drugs while discussing how to persecute others for using different drugs.
    - perl4ever 5y ago
      It is quite interesting, that they were rearranging valence electrons in atoms, while discussing how to persecute others for doing the same thing with different atoms.
      - netizen-936824 5y ago
        Ahh yes, take it one step further to brush off the meaning. People persecute others for using some certain drugs but not other certain drugs, I'm simply highlighting that fact. Its particularly amusing when the same "drug warrior" types who would have been the ones breaking open barrels in the 20s are now openly drinking with each other.
        perl4ever 5y ago
        You may have a lot of preconceptions about different drugs, but I don't know what they are. Mine are probably different from yours, and from most peoples'.
rmm 5y ago
More Articles: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-08/fbi-afp-underworld-crime-bust-an0m-cash-drugs-murder/100197246 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-08/fbi-afp-underworld-cr... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIUOoXIWlr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIUOoXIWlr0
tonteldoos 5y ago
If I read correctly between the lines, while the FBI had 'the lead' on the app, the ability to decrypt was made possible by amendments to Australian Telecoms legislation (TOLA) in 2018, and hence the Australia (via the AFP) was the only country legally allowed to intercept this communication ('AFP provided the technical ability'). Can someone with more in-depth knowledge confirm if this is accurate?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
thisrod 5y ago
For the past few years, Australian police have been loudly whinging to journalists about their inability to tap encrypted messaging apps, and demanding parliament give them all kinds of Orwellian powers to force developers to add back doors. This puts a whole new light on that! Let's hope it was reverse psychology directed at the crooks, and they'll stop it from now on.
hegemon8 5y ago
Wild!
BrissyCoder 5y ago
Has anyone found the app? EDIT: Website https://www.anom.io/ https://www.anom.io/ (presumably the app has been taken off of app stores).
- jlund-molfese 5y ago
  https://web.archive.org/web/20210607233427/http://anom.io/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210607233427/http://anom.io/ Wayback link to the former splash page—doesn't look like the main site has been archived
- skeletonjelly 5y ago
  This might not be 100% correct, but from what I understand it was never on an app store, rather the phone was sold and distributed as is - an untraceable phone with apps preinstalled Ok found my source: > The Australian Federal Police then planted the devices with the pre-loaded AN0M into the hands of criminals by using several key criminal “influencers” – Australia’s Mafia Man, and Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey. > Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey, was one of AN0M’s biggest spruikers to the criminal underworld. Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey, was one of AN0M’s biggest spruikers to the criminal underworld. Police say Ayik and Mafia Man convinced their associates to use the devices, a move which gave police real-time access to every message, photograph or voice-message sent. https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/operation-ironside-uses-afp-and-fbi-secret-an0m-app-to-smash-criminal-underworld/news-story/1d11b5386bcb7cfba58ac1b2abbaaf88 https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/operation-irons...
- skeletonjelly 5y ago
  Some cached copies of their site: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kifZOXRyUC0J:https://www.anom.io/faq/what-features-does-anom-offer+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kifZOX... https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cMhBFdmLFA0J:https://www.anom.io/faq/what-makes-anom-privacy-protection-so-special+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cMhBFd... An "expose" on how unsafe it is: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bP-g6VgD1JcJ:https://anomexposed.wordpress.com/2021/03/29/anom-encrpted-scam-exposed/+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bP-g6V... Their twitter is empty: https://twitter.com/anomsecure?lang=en https://twitter.com/anomsecure?lang=en But there is a post on reddit "introducing" their app 2021-04-04 https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CJ5FSWqz5-IJ:https://www.reddit.com/user/anomsecure/comments/b96acu/encrypted_secure_mobilecellphone_app_for_android/+&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CJ5FSW...
jobigoud 5y ago
Why is the trick revealed now? What incentive did they have instead of continuing the covert op?

52 points by rmm 5y ago

caf 5y ago

This story is wild. The AFP and FBI apparently hatched up this encrypted chat app between them, then seeded it into the criminal world through undercover agents passing it on to a known drug trafficker. Three years later it's ended up with 11,000 people using it all over the world, all their conversations going straight into the rozzas' databases. Hundreds of simultaneous raids and arrests across 18 countries.

rmm 5y ago
apparently the idea came together after having 'a couple of beers'. Very Australian. ...the idea for the AN0M app was developed 'over a couple of beers' between Australia and US law enforcement officers in 2018. "I wasn't there, but as you know, some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers," Commissioner Kershaw said.
- adamparsons 5y ago
  Honestly I burst out laughing at that quote. I'm sure many devs here can attest to the wild ideas that come out of after work beers that often end up being hilariously useful.
- asddubs 5y ago
  I mean it does seem like the kind of thing where it's an obviously good idea for them to do, it's all about the implementation
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  It is quite interesting, that they were consuming drugs while discussing how to persecute others for using different drugs.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    It is quite interesting, that they were rearranging valence electrons in atoms, while discussing how to persecute others for doing the same thing with different atoms.
    - netizen-936824 5y ago
      Ahh yes, take it one step further to brush off the meaning. People persecute others for using some certain drugs but not other certain drugs, I'm simply highlighting that fact. Its particularly amusing when the same "drug warrior" types who would have been the ones breaking open barrels in the 20s are now openly drinking with each other.
      - perl4ever 5y ago
        You may have a lot of preconceptions about different drugs, but I don't know what they are. Mine are probably different from yours, and from most peoples'.

rmm 5y ago

More Articles: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-08/fbi-afp-underworld-crime-bust-an0m-cash-drugs-murder/100197246 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-08/fbi-afp-underworld-cr... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIUOoXIWlr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIUOoXIWlr0

tonteldoos 5y ago

If I read correctly between the lines, while the FBI had 'the lead' on the app, the ability to decrypt was made possible by amendments to Australian Telecoms legislation (TOLA) in 2018, and hence the Australia (via the AFP) was the only country legally allowed to intercept this communication ('AFP provided the technical ability'). Can someone with more in-depth knowledge confirm if this is accurate?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

thisrod 5y ago

For the past few years, Australian police have been loudly whinging to journalists about their inability to tap encrypted messaging apps, and demanding parliament give them all kinds of Orwellian powers to force developers to add back doors. This puts a whole new light on that! Let's hope it was reverse psychology directed at the crooks, and they'll stop it from now on.

hegemon8 5y ago

Wild!

BrissyCoder 5y ago

Has anyone found the app? EDIT: Website https://www.anom.io/ https://www.anom.io/ (presumably the app has been taken off of app stores).

jlund-molfese 5y ago
https://web.archive.org/web/20210607233427/http://anom.io/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210607233427/http://anom.io/ Wayback link to the former splash page—doesn't look like the main site has been archived
skeletonjelly 5y ago
This might not be 100% correct, but from what I understand it was never on an app store, rather the phone was sold and distributed as is - an untraceable phone with apps preinstalled Ok found my source: > The Australian Federal Police then planted the devices with the pre-loaded AN0M into the hands of criminals by using several key criminal “influencers” – Australia’s Mafia Man, and Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey. > Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey, was one of AN0M’s biggest spruikers to the criminal underworld. Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, who is hiding out in Turkey, was one of AN0M’s biggest spruikers to the criminal underworld. Police say Ayik and Mafia Man convinced their associates to use the devices, a move which gave police real-time access to every message, photograph or voice-message sent. https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/operation-ironside-uses-afp-and-fbi-secret-an0m-app-to-smash-criminal-underworld/news-story/1d11b5386bcb7cfba58ac1b2abbaaf88 https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/operation-irons...
skeletonjelly 5y ago
Some cached copies of their site: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kifZOXRyUC0J:https://www.anom.io/faq/what-features-does-anom-offer+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kifZOX... https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cMhBFdmLFA0J:https://www.anom.io/faq/what-makes-anom-privacy-protection-so-special+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cMhBFd... An "expose" on how unsafe it is: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bP-g6VgD1JcJ:https://anomexposed.wordpress.com/2021/03/29/anom-encrpted-scam-exposed/+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bP-g6V... Their twitter is empty: https://twitter.com/anomsecure?lang=en https://twitter.com/anomsecure?lang=en But there is a post on reddit "introducing" their app 2021-04-04 https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CJ5FSWqz5-IJ:https://www.reddit.com/user/anomsecure/comments/b96acu/encrypted_secure_mobilecellphone_app_for_android/+&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CJ5FSW...

jobigoud 5y ago

Why is the trick revealed now? What incentive did they have instead of continuing the covert op?