Fake Emergency Search Warrants Draw Scrutiny from Capitol Hill
Summary: Hackers are using compromised government and police department email accounts to send forged "emergency data requests" (EDRs) that obtain customer data from mobile providers, ISPs and social media companies without a warrant, and KrebsOnSecurity reported confirmation from Discord, Apple and Meta/Facebook that they recently processed fraudulent EDRs. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he was requesting information from tech companies and federal agencies about the abuse, citing concern that forged emergency orders may come from compromised foreign law enforcement agencies, and noted he has authored legislation requiring digital signatures for court orders.
Bottom line: There are roughly 18,000 distinct police organizations in the United States alone, and a company receiving an EDR has no quick way to verify it is legitimate - a gap criminal hackers are exploiting at high success rates and now selling as a service, with one Telegram seller offering access to accounts from police and government agencies in India, the UAE, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
- Topics
- Cybercrime & Law Enforcement
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