The Cam-A-Lot Bust

Chairman · 21 March, 2014, 02:07:34

Clearnet, Tor-safe link to a news article: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26639092

I am sure you all heard about this site, with its twenty-plus-thousand subscribers and apparently hundreds of 'rescued' child victims. Well, it was Cam-A-Lot, and it was busted due to one of the admins mailing something to a young friend he had regular contact with. The parents found the package, it was apparently compromising in some way, and LEA used the return address to drive to the admin's home, bust him, and using his computer discovered he was using Skype, Usenet, and other unsafe options to communicate with both his Cam-A-Lot camboys (and girls?) as well as fellow admins/high-level users. LEA used the clearnet communications between the members to bust 17 of the admins/high-level users, and gained administrative access to Cam-A-Lot, shutting it down.

If you were ever on Cam-A-Lot, you know how ridiculous the things being reported in this story are. 27,000 members? Really? You had to register to download, and many people registered a new account every time they downloaded. Hundreds of victims 'rescued'? They haven't even identified the vast majority of them, as they are just boys (and a few girls) seen via cam.

So absurd.

The Cam-A-Lot admins knew it was coming, as word got out that their clearnet communications had been infiltrated, so while all they could do was wait to be busted if they had not been safe, a few admins and cappers got away and are still out there.

So much to learn here, from ridiculous reporting techniques of the world to demonize us, to why using clearnet is STILL STUPID, to why you are only ever as strong as your weakest link (the guy using the mail, just like BabyJ's dad).

Again...just absurd.

There's your lesson for the day.

GLover · 21 March, 2014, 02:18:34

WTF? Pravda.ru is calling it a child prostitution network. Fucking LOL.

Sterling Archer · 21 March, 2014, 02:34:47

Unfortunate. That was one of the places I used to get material from.

It's hardly a prostitution network and there's no victims to be "saved".

missionman · 21 March, 2014, 03:29:46

Yeah, it is unfortunate as the operator was a pretty cool person. Sadly, the problem is securing the webcam traffic; they had to use a VPN to do so. Feel bad for the operator and all others whom were arrested.

And to the prostitution network, LOL. They have no fucking clue what it is.

Chairman · 21 March, 2014, 05:45:40

Quote from: missionman on 21 March, 2014, 03:29:46
Yeah, it is unfortunate as the operator was a pretty cool person. Sadly, the problem is securing the webcam traffic; they had to use a VPN to do so.

Finding a secure VPN, while difficult, is not impossible. His mistake was using the mail (or trusting someone who used the mail) to get in touch with a child, and communicating with his friends without protection, for the sake of convenience. See the 73 rules - the desire for speed is our enemy...

gameover · 21 March, 2014, 19:01:50

Just wow! The one thing I have learned from all of the busts is that not one single child, not ONE, has ever been rescued

poptart · 21 March, 2014, 22:21:00

Quote from: Chairman on 21 March, 2014, 02:07:34
...Well, it was Cam-A-Lot, and it was busted due to one of the admins mailing something to a young friend he had regular contact with. The parents found the package, it was apparently compromising in some way, and LEA used the return address to drive to the admin's home, bust him

You'd think Edward Snowden would have talked some sense into these guys by now.

on the rocks · 22 March, 2014, 01:40:47

Snail mail? Jesus titty-fucking Christ! Is it 1997?
Sometimes it seems like LEA relies 100% on people's blatent carelessness to get any busts.

Also, someone needs to inform these "journalists" of the definition of 'prostitution'.

Red · 22 March, 2014, 01:48:30

WTF Glover, does anyone read Pravda. ru?

lol

That newspaper has a tendency of exaggerating things a lot, specially when they deal with America and EU

Sterling Archer · 22 March, 2014, 02:30:05

Quote from: on the rocks on 22 March, 2014, 01:40:47
Sometimes it seems like LEA relies 100% on people's blatent carelessness to get any busts.

They won't do more work than they have too. When people are essentially gift wrapping themselves, why not just sit back and wait? As long as some busts are making the news, it's considered a "job well done".

Chairman · 22 March, 2014, 11:49:18

Quote from: Red on 22 March, 2014, 01:48:30
WTF Glover, does anyone read Pravda. ru? lol

That was my question too.

OTR, it looks like what was good for busting Professor's members in the nineties is good for busting oh-so-elite hidden service admins in 2014. At least LEA need not lift a finger further than they desire to.

AWAWAW · 22 March, 2014, 17:06:20

I used the site as well and I did indeed create a random username each visit, it felt safer that way. I must have accounted for a few hundred logins at least

What was done here was pretty stupid, those kinds of things are eventually going to lead to trouble no matter how safe you think you are. And the mail is NEVER safe!

And really, talking with fellow users on Skype? As much as I like you guys, I will never mix my darknet and clearnet interactions, never. And its not even about how trustworthy I think people might be, but really how it only takes one person to get pressured and in that situation I would be expecting you to save yourself any way you could given the sentances involved.

gameover · 22 March, 2014, 19:47:10

It is a lesson to be learned for sure. But will they learn it l. There are some on darknet who STILL think its a good idea to browse darknet under a windows based system despite a major busy that took down FH. History will repeat itself it seems

GLover · 23 March, 2014, 01:34:36

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Every fucking time.

Quote from: AWAWAW on 22 March, 2014, 17:06:20
And really, talking with fellow users on Skype? As much as I like you guys, I will never mix my darknet and clearnet interactions, never. And its not even about how trustworthy I think people might be, but really how it only takes one person to get pressured and in that situation I would be expecting you to save yourself any way you could given the sentances involved.

So those long conversations we had last week over Skype meant nothing to you?

AWAWAW · 23 March, 2014, 12:30:11

Quote from: GLover on 23 March, 2014, 01:34:36

Quote from: AWAWAW on 22 March, 2014, 17:06:20
And really, talking with fellow users on Skype? As much as I like you guys, I will never mix my darknet and clearnet interactions, never. And its not even about how trustworthy I think people might be, but really how it only takes one person to get pressured and in that situation I would be expecting you to save yourself any way you could given the sentances involved.

So those long conversations we had last week over Skype meant nothing to you?

A love like ours could never last, I am sorry you had to learn about it this way. I had hoped to let you down gently....

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The Cam-A-Lot Bust