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In June, it emerged that international law enforcement was operating a business that sold encrypted phones to criminals. A new report today details that the FBI and Australian Federal Police (AFP) used a Google Pixel 4a running custom software for the operation.
Since 2019, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, in close coordination with the Australian Federal Police, has strategically developed and secretly operated an encrypted device company, called ANOM, which has grown to serve over 12,000 devices. encrypted to over 300 criminal syndicates operating in over 100 countries, including Italian organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs and international drug trafficking organizations.
EUROPOL
Motherboard / Vice was able to acquire the “Phone that the FBI secretly sold to criminals” and perform a practical operation. The hardware is just a Pixel 4a with several modifications aimed at the user as part of an “ArcaneOS 10” to make it appealing to the target audience. For example, a “PIN code scrambling” option meant that the lock screen keypad was not laid out 1-9 and 0 to prevent those watching you from guessing the sequence. Meanwhile, entering a “Wipe Code” from said keypad could secretly wipe the device.
Meanwhile, a decoy PIN code opens into a “space” with a regular launcher with apps like Candy Crush, Facebook, Instagram, and Netflix. None of them actually launch, while entering the correct PIN takes users to a screen with just three apps: Calculator, Clock, and Settings. Speaking of preferences, there’s apparently no setting to turn location tracking on / off.
Images via motherboard
Entering a specific calculation in this first application will lead users to an encrypted messaging service. Of course, he wasn’t really encrypted and closely watched by law enforcement around the world. A total of 27 million messages were obtained and reviewed in 18 months before authorities began to take action around the world last month.
Google released the Pixel 4a in August 2020. Since this operation started earlier than that, Motherboard was told of a 3a loaded with the same software. This reflects the know-how of those behind this survey to keep pace with technology. It is not known if other devices were used.
Meanwhile, following the publication of the survey, the former owners of these 4a devices are dumping them cheaply at “unsuspecting people online”. However, those who thought they had struck a deal were unable to use them like regular devices due to the lack of a Play Store or the ability to flash Android.
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