The Boy Scout and the Hacker

A Plethora of Perps - Sam

A Plethora of Perps - Sam

After my Monday morning run, I dived into the Boss problem. For the Daenzer investigation, I had figured out how to access numbered accounts. Now I had to expand that and hunt down multiple accounts and multiple users, find connections, and find Boss.

My recent research into AI sparked my imagination. It boiled down to algorithms plus data out the ying-yang. I was an expert at constructing algorithms and corresponding code and did it every day. In order to gather the boatloads of data my algorithms would require, I had to automate and broaden the scope of my previous work of entering accounts that didn't welcome me. I needed to construct a web crawler that a bank would trust and willingly provide with tons of data that law enforcement wasn't privy to. Sounded easy, didn't it?

The starting point would be Boss's numbered account(s). Were there more CUs that we had not identified yet? Did he only have one account, or did he have a different one at each bank that housed CUs? Where had he spent his money? What services or goods did the recipients of his money provide? I'd track every dollar he or his puppets touched. By following the money, I expected to find where everyone had been and where they were today. More importantly, with the help of my AI algorithms, I intended to predict where he was going and what his next moves might be so we could capture him. I also had my own dot connector, Chris. It would be a classic man vs. machine contest like John Henry and the steam-powered rock drill. Between AI and US, Boss was toast.

Chris and I had hung the walls of my office the previous week. Each panel had four inches of acoustic insulation on the outside. Talk about a think tank! I hung every piece of artwork I owned and arranged my office creature comforts where they served me best. Before I sat down to do the programming work, I needed to tap into heavy computing power. A simple laptop would not cut it.

A brick wall running floor to ceiling divided the original Tyler Chemical plant in two areas, front and back. Chris had not removed that in his remodel. I moved my server farm from my old office to the opposite side of that wall. My office designer (Chris) enclosed that hot equipment within another "room," electrically isolated and temperature controlled with an industrial-sized air conditioner, making it superior to any office I'd ever used.

Everything was in place, so I dug in. The first assumption we made was that Boss had no reason to vary the game plan developed for the Daenzers. He was unaware that a person of Chris's skills in pattern recognition and logic leaping and mine as a hacker had gotten together to crack his plan. Chris's law enforcement contacts gave us access to more data than Boss anticipated as well. We had concerns he would see us coming and move to a Plan B for future teams, but even if that happened, I was certain he couldn't permanently erase historical records. He might think they were gone, but I could find them.

I designed my algorithm to find activity meeting four criteria. First, the presence of an account cluster at a bank. While multiple banks might be used, each would have three or more accounts set up on the same day within minutes of each other and with sequential or near-sequential account numbers.

Second, large clusters of transfers entering the account in a short time period. This marked the successful completion of a CU operation. An operation didn't have to have anything in common with the Daenzer scams other than collecting a hefty slug of money and dividing it into pieces smaller than the alarm limit. Mapping the clusters would provide some feel for how long Boss needed to prepare and how many operations he allowed before termination.

Third, a regular withdrawal from each account. This would maintain the fiction that Boss was taking a reasonable cut for his/her work, that all was safe, and the bulk of the account was the operatives', free and clear. Withdrawals had been cash for the Basel accounts, and this still seemed the best way to prevent a trail leading to Boss. Switzerland was a small enough country that Boss could handle cash transactions at any bank with minor inconvenience. Since the cash couldn't be traced, this wasn't critical information.

Fourth, we expected a regular transfer to a normal bank account to cover living expenses. That was the route for discovering where CUs lived. With luck, it would also lead to Boss's lair.

It took two long days of programming work to set up the web crawler. Mine was closer to a Dark Web search engine than to Google. Once set in motion, my bot introduced itself to the bank, the bank said, "Howdy, partner," and data began to flow. The first analysis only took a few hours. After consultation with Chris, I modified the program for better results and ran it again. An hour later, we had a list to begin human analysis on.

Several banks were involved, all Swiss, which wasn't surprising since they probably had more banks per square mile offering numbered accounts than anywhere else in the world. Various island nations were also popular, but extensive globe-trotting didn't seem necessary. We didn't have to find everything. Only enough to cut off the head--and brains--of the criminal organization and stop it in its tracks.

We zeroed in on three clusters containing nine individual numbered accounts. Each of those equated to a criminal individual or team. Interestingly, several accounts had suddenly registered a $1000 balance and showed up with a different owner. It was now the "working account" for a different team. Wonder what had happened to the first owners? We had our suspicions.

Using standard Google, we confirmed that the original owners of each closed account appeared in the Obituaries. Coincidence? I thought not.

Most accounts had a balance of millions. Boss's standard cut was bringing in a pretty penny for him. Too bad he wasn't content to be a wealthy crook, preferring to be anuber-wealthy murderer. Though setting up each operation and training new associates was time consuming, he maintained tight security and ended up with the bulk of the money. Was he different from a typical billionaire? He did whatever it took to amass more, more, more.

During the Daenzer case, we spent considerable time developing methodology, which I built into my algorithms. Instead of pushpins, my computer spat out lists of potential locations ranked by probability. I was sure Chris would have preferred a map studded with colorful pins.

Whether the perps owned a home or rented, we had what we needed to find where they lived. It was time to visit Europe again to track down and identify as many operatives as possible. The big problem was still going to be finding Boss. We hadn't found any local banks or credit cards linked to his numbered account. He would have had no trouble living on the cash he'd withdrawn from the various CU accounts, but who used cash these days? Chris thought personal "interviews" might be the only way to find clues to Boss's identity. That was his forte, not mine. I was still working on self-defense and didn't have the proper training or disposition for interrogation.

Chris and I put the active investigation aside while we let what we had learned percolate. To relax into that percolating state, we played pickleball. It was easy to get hooked, and we did. Chris tossed out a novel thought. "We have room in the back of our building to put in a court. What are your thoughts?"

We already had an extensive workout area back there including martial arts floor pads. Although I preferred playing outdoors, playing any time, day or night, in any weather, had its appeal. I said, "Let's think about it. At first blush, it sounds like a wonderful idea. I had been thinking about a lap pool. They're about forty feet long and six to ten feet wide. Could we do both?"

Chris laughed. "There goes my expansive open space. Where are we going to put the kids?"

Whoa! I had almost forgotten that I had accepted his marriage proposal. Nobody, including my mother, had mentioned it in quite a while. The "kids" part was abstract at this point. I got silly and said, "Isn't that what the shelving back there is for?"

He looked at me to judge my mental state then responded, "There is no way I'm having enough kids to fill those shelves." He hated letting me have the last word.

Our personal lives were chugging right along. We were now a solid couple, included together in any invite. I became close with many of Chris's church friends including Pastor Don. As I eventually learned, Don and Chris had been friends since undergrad. They played intramural lacrosse, and both rode the bench for the Chicago Lacrosse Club. We had had Don and his wife, Terry, over for dinner more than once, and they had also invited us to their place. Unexpectedly, I often enjoyed his sermons. He didn't push any point of view but raised questions designed to facilitate thought. If someone told me a few months ago that I would be having deep philosophical/religious discussions with my fiancé, I would have said they were crazy.

I was assuming that Don would marry us, but it had never come up in conversation either with Don or with Mom. My family had never been churchgoers, so maybe Mom was planning a Justice of the Peace wedding. Who knew? I flashed my ring constantly and nobody said a word. This whole thing was getting weird.

Back to business. I had contacted J-P about our list. We still encrypted everything because of our concern about a mole. J-P would have loved to dig into the names, but he had no way to do that without letting the world know far too much. He gave us his permission to do whatever we saw fit as long as we kept him informed and stuck fairly close to legal.

I handed over the list of nine operatives to Chris and began my next project--tracking down as many victims as possible.

Since J-P had stressed secrecy, it seemed to be my job to find what we needed via my own brand of cyber sleuthing, taking care to leave no trace of my work. I thought it would have been much simpler if I drained every account we found and hoped that Boss would break cover in an insane manhunt to find us. Chris didn't want to do that until our kids were in college and had no need of parents any longer. He was more risk averse than I was and had also visited several prisons and seen what prison life was like inside.

Chris understood the typical law enforcement techniques for gathering information. Google was a natural starting point, but there were many databases available to police and private investigators via subscription. AAAA had access to some of the best databases, and Chris was technically an employee, so he used them extensively. Actually, AAAA was recruiting him hard, having recognized a prize investigator when they saw him. They gave him the keys to the kingdom and the freedom he needed. It would be a bonus for them if our investigation brought money into their coffers.

Chris gathered employment and criminal histories for every CU. I found where they lived. Chris discovered every CU was a couple though not all were married. Together, we determined that none had a criminal record. However, one or both had left their job about a month before the initial bank deposits.

Chris wanted to find out why. That required interviews with the employers, so Chris would be heading to Europe soon. I wanted to go too, but he pointed out that having me along would be counterproductive. We enjoyed ourselves too much. When Chris was on assignment, he rarely worked less than twelve hours a day and indulged in zero leisure.

He made reservations, kissed me goodbye, and headed for the airport. My new task was to generate a list of SVs and send them to him. He would add them to his To-Do list. I was missing him already, and it looked like he would be over there for a long time.

I noted we had no paying client but considerable expenses. I needed to talk to Shay about that. My immediate inclination was to steal an appropriate amount. As long as we weren't greedy, it wasn't really criminal, right?

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Tracking Boss - Chris

Tracking Boss - Chris

I was on a plane all alone. That had never bothered me in the past, but I'd become accustomed to having Sam around. My days had been so much sunnier.

My plan was to hit the ground running as soon as we landed. I wouldn't have time to moon about Sam then. However, during the flight, there was nothing to stop me from thinking about wedding plans.

I had plopped Mrs. Ruskin's idea about a surprise wedding in front of Shay since nobody knew Sam better. Also, regarding the wedding dress, I didn't know anyone with more fashion sense. This woman captured every room she entered. She was tall, gorgeously Black, and knew how to accentuate every positive.

Shay had loved the surprise aspect. She said weddings were normally so predictable, but people would definitely remember this one. Grabbing the bit in her teeth, she started rattling off ideas to build on the concept. She would discuss it with Mrs. Ruskin while I was in Europe.

I told her how my first sight of Samantha in her Cossack/gaucho outfit had bowled me over. Shay smiled. Then, I told her how I envisioned marrying her in something similar but white, and she grinned. When I asked if she thought that was stupid, she burst out laughing. Color me confused.

Shay explained. "Sam has zero concept of fashion. She would wear jeans and a soft sweater for every occasion, including her wedding, if I allowed it. That was a big party and Sam had to represent. So, I took it upon myself to give her a 'look.' I designed that costume, purchased the boots and fabric, sewed it, and fitted it. Where do you think I get my clothes? No off-the-rack clothes could possibly do justice to this." She swept her hand from her head to her knees, indicating her whole fabulous self.

I was stunned. In my uneducated opinion, she could have worked for a major fashion house as a designer, but she would also have had to be the model as well because hanging her designs on emaciated runway models would have been sacrilege. I loved Sam no matter what clothes she was wearing--or not wearing--but when Shay dressed her, she was a knockout.

I'd had no qualms about leaving this in Shay's capable hands. She knew how to enhance Sam's shape and bring out her Alexandra Daddario eyes. She felt that solid white wasn't playful enough, so she'd add blue embroidery accents to the dress and the veil. Also, at some point Sam had shared with Shay my fascination with Christine's back, so this Cossack outfit would expose Sam's beautiful back in a provocative but not slutty manner.

I was eager to move forward. Not only did Shay have the clothes settled, but I had also solved the dilemma of getting Sam to the church on time. We would be working as volunteers at the Saturday Lunch program on that day, just as we often did anyhow. Then it would be a simple matter to wander upstairs, have the entire wedding congregation shout, "Surprise!" and scoot off to the dressing rooms. Neither of us would need more than five minutes to get ready since Sam didn't do makeup and her short hair was always perfect.

Mrs. Ruskin had set the wedding date for mid-January. She'd be sending "Save the Date" missives soon. She needed to be read in on my surprise reception plan so she could enclose secrecy contracts with the invite.

I would do everything in my power to close this case out before the wedding. The vision of a Damocles's sword hanging above our heads as we stood in front of Pastor Don was daunting.

As soon as I got into the terminal at Orly, I called Claude to let him know I was in Paris. "I'd like to personally request your family's presence at our wedding."

"That is wonderful news. Why don't you come to dinner so we can discuss it. Do you want me to break the news to Nell, or do you prefer to do it yourself?" he inquired.

"I'll tell her myself. She already knows Sam and I are engaged, so learning the date shouldn't be too traumatic."

Actually, she was so thrilled when I told her that I was a bit taken aback. She jumped up and down shouting, "Papa, please, please, can we go to Chicago for the wedding?"

Well, that had gone better than expected. With Nell adding pressure, Claude and Bennie readily assented. "We would be delighted!"

We spent the evening in conversation. Nell headed for bed, and I gave a bit more detail of my purposes for being in Europe. I declined an offer to stay with them as I would be running hither and yon at all hours of the day and night. Hotel rooms would be more appropriate. I consented to stay over that first night though and ate breakfast with them before heading out on my mission.

Sam called right about at bedtime. She opened with, "I love you and miss you."

"You took the words out of my mouth."

With that little pleasantry out of the way, Sam got down to business. "I will be emailing a long list of SVs to you. I hacked into Interpol and matched up deposit dates and amounts from the numbered accounts with police report records containing names, addresses, and phone numbers. The police didn't recognize any connection between cases, but I sure did. The police will not be getting in our way."

After reiterating the mushy stuff, I hung up and started digging into the reams of information she had sent. Besides the list of nine CUs I'd carried on the plane, she'd provided over fifty SVs--more than five per CU. I guessed we should consider ourselves lucky. The Daenzers handled twenty-two. I wondered why so many and why so long before the decision to "fire" them?

The next morning, I asked Bennie where the closest store was to buy a map of Europe, pushpins, and a corkboard. She took my phone and set a pin in Google Maps. Everybody but me seemed to know how to set pins. However, I knew how to get to a pin once it had been placed, so I found the store and made my purchases.

It was obvious in perusing the list of addresses that a central HQ wasn't going to work since the nine CUs lived throughout Europe though there were a few concentrations. The same was true for SVs. After fixing the map to the corkboard, I began placing push pins--green for CUs/employers, red for SVs. I chose an area near Paris with three CUs and 16 SVs to begin. I estimated I could finish them in two long days if luck was with me.

My game plan was to contact each employer and SV. There was no reason to expect the CUs to have any further contact with any of them once an operation was complete. I would just quietly surveille CUs to get pictures and evaluate lifestyle and comings and goings. I didn't want to spook the bad guys and have them hide like cockroaches when the room light goes on.

I made decent progress on the first day and prepared to move to an area in Germany on the next. I continued until I had a reasonable sampling then wrote up a summary for Sam, J-P, and myself to discuss.

My investigations had discovered that each CU had amassed significant debt prior to unemployment. Without exception, the CUs had been asked to resign because of some evidence of embezzlement. Interestingly, each firm had noted some irregularities in their IT systems and brought in an outside accounting firm to troubleshoot. The consulting accountant discovered funds missing and some evidence that pointed to the future CU. Though the evidence was convincing, it was insufficient to support firing the employee or bringing in the police. The consultant suggested that collecting sufficient evidence would be expensive and advised the company to force resignation.

Our theory was that step one of Boss's headhunting method was to look for people living well above their means and carrying heavy debt. Step two was convincing the prospect's employer to force him/her out. Usually, when someone had broken the law, they left with their head down out of shame. Every HR department rep told me that the employee had expressed defiance and a chip on their shoulder, not shame. I made one of my typical jumps in logic and determined that Boss fiddled the books to incriminate the in-debt but innocent CU. After the firing, Boss would approach the CU and show not only how to get out of debt but how to eliminate the need to work for ungrateful companies in the future.