PHONES, COMPUTERS REPORTED “HACKED” IN “RELENTLESS ATTACKS,” COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS; STALKING ALSO REPORTED
by Sharon Rondeau
(Sep. 5, 2016) — The primary power of attorney (POA) and another advocate for a U.S. Army soldier injured three years ago who was forced to submit to an unscheduled psychological evaluation last Thursday while on leave have told The Post & Email that their wireless systems, multiple computers and phones have been hacked, costing thousands of dollars and man-hours to remedy.
Both individuals have pointed to the U.S. military as the perpetrator, claimed the possession of hard evidence to support the contention, and reported the cyber-stalking to their local police departments and the FBI.
Approximately a month ago, the POA reported that his/her Yahoo! email account had been hacked and subsequently his/her entire wireless system, which included passwords to personal bank accounts and other personal information. “I know who hacked me, and I have the proof to show who hacked me,” the POA told us, including that the alleged perpetrators were named in a complaint made to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “After I was hacked, all of my contacts who are advocates for the soldier were hacked as well.”
He/she continued:
The other advocate had dark vehicles with tinted windows outside his home. We all started receiving weird phone calls from overseas with four-digit numbers. We’ve all had our phone numbers for more than a decade and never had any problem. There have been verbal phone calls, silent and foreign-language phone calls…we never had a problem with that. Collectively, we’ve had our email accounts for about 30 years and never had a problem. So it’s not a coincidence, and just the fact that we both can provide the evidence…when I show them the evidence, they’re going to be shocked, because it’s right there in black and white.
When they hacked my email, they were able to see who I was sending email to, including [second soldier advocate]. So they sent him an email as if it was from his cousin, and when he opened the email, there was a link with a virus which went through everything he had. They interrupted his internet service and cut off all his communication, but it ended up hurting them because we all went quiet.
According to the POA, the soldier was denied leave on three different occasions but finally granted authorization to visit his family in June. However, unusual restrictions were placed on his leave, which included having lab tests done at very specific times and requiring him to call in to the Warrior Transition Brigade by Skype twice daily so that medical personnel could observe him taking his myriad medications.
The soldier’s family believes that he is been purposely over-medicated and reported that a doctor of psychology hired privately to provide a diagnosis has documented that the soldier has been “misdiagnosed” by Walter Reed.
The soldier has an around-the-clock CNA (certified nurse’s aide) which the family says is unnecessary and an intrusion on the soldier’s privacy.
In early June, the soldier provided an in-person video account to Army CID (Criminal Investigation Command) which he said unfolded on April 29, 2013 at Ft. Lee, VA, where he was transferred from South Korea following his report of inappropriate activity taking place among at least one officer and his wife, the soldier’s wife, a battalion chaplain, and others.
After returning stateside in early 2013, the soldier was deemed “delusional” and “schizophrenic” and placed in the “Med Board” process with the goal of determining him unfit for duty.
The soldier alleges that on April 29, 2013 of that year, he was sexually and physically assaulted by four perpetrators, then thrown into moving traffic, where he landed on the hood of a car and hit his head, resulting in a traumatic brain injury.
He was taken initially to the University of Virginia Medical Center, then transferred to Walter Reed as an active member of the U.S. Army. The family believes that his “treatment” has been drawn out intentionally to silence him about his allegations of what transpired in South Korea as well as the ensuing sexual assault.
The assault has been reported to New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who launched a congressional inquiry with the Army but has reportedly received no response, despite legally-mandated deadlines which have long since passed.
While the soldier was on leave between late June and early July, and after publication of The Post & Email’s first article on the story, a military attorney from the SHARP program informed the POA that the Petersburg, VA Bureau of Police had requested an interview with the soldier about the events of April 29, 2013, the first request of its kind.
However, the POA told The Post & Email last week that that interview has still not taken place.
The POA’s multitude of complaints made to and about Walter Reed; the soldier’s former psychiatrist, Dr. David Williamson, to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MDHMH); to the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice; the Army Inspector General; and to Army Command have resulted in no action thus far. The Post & Email’s log has shown that the FBI and readers at the “Department of Defense Network Information Center” have read its articles on the soldier’s case.
One avenue of complaint may yield results which are yet to be seen.
In addition to cyber-crimes, the primary POA has reported stalking in the form of dark-colored vehicles with tinted windows parked outside of his/her home following the soldier’s video deposition with Army CID.
According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), a division of the DOJ:
Stalking can be carried out in person or via electronic mechanisms (phone, fax, GPS, cameras, computer spyware, or the Internet). Cyberstalking—the use of technology to stalk victims—shares some characteristics with real-life stalking. It involves the pursuit, harassment, or contact of others in an unsolicited fashion initially via the Internet and e-mail. Cyberstalking can intensify in chat rooms where stalkers systematically flood their target’s inbox with obscene, hateful, or threatening messages and images. A cyberstalker may further assume the identity of his or her victim by posting information (fictitious or not) and soliciting responses from the cybercommunity. Cyberstalkers may use information acquired online to further intimidate, harass, and threaten their victim via courier mail, phone calls, and physically appearing at a residence or work place.
Another DOJ department, the FBI, states that “cyber attacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists” are a threat which is “incredibly serious—and growing. Cyber intrusions are becoming more commonplace, more dangerous, and more sophisticated. Our nation’s critical infrastructure, including both private and public sector networks, are targeted by adversaries. American companies are targeted for trade secrets and other sensitive corporate data, and universities for their cutting-edge research and development. Citizens are targeted by fraudsters and identity thieves, and children are targeted by online predators. Just as the FBI transformed itself to better address the terrorist threat after the 9/11 attacks, it is undertaking a similar transformation to address the pervasive and evolving cyber threat. This means enhancing the Cyber Division’s investigative capacity to sharpen its focus on intrusions into government and private computer networks.”
Depending on the state, stalking could be a misdemeanor or felony. At the federal level, stalking encompasses “interstate communications” initiated when an individual “makes a telephone call or utilizes a telecommunications device, whether or not conversation or communication ensues, without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number or who receives the communications…”
On Saturday evening, a second advocate for the soldier informed us:
To stop my communication with XXXXXXX and XXXXXXX, since early August I’ve been targeted by the military with a level of cybercrime at the level of an enemy state attack. Four of my computers have been compromised and rendered unusable by writing remote access code to their memory chips. No matter what time of day or night, cyber criminals would take over the computers whenever I would log on, then scramble or block any attempts I made to access the Internet. They infected backups and other information on 4 of my external drives.
When I went to XXXX to attempt access, they shut down two local networks there rendering them useless for the weekend. When I go to my local library, Starbucks, or McDonald’s, they were there too, blocking my access by locking out wi-fi. I strongly suspect tracking and listening devices have been placed somewhere in my vehicles and adjacent to my home because they always are waiting where ever I go and know details of my plans.
I know for certain my home is targeted from the sky or via a physical piece of hardware nearby because the attacks inside are instant. I’ve taken the computers a mile away from my home and it takes them longer to intercept and interfere. I’ve had two iPhones and two pay-by-the-minute replacements intercepted with call and text blocking. Each time I call XXXX directly I receive a recording stating “This business is not available.” I even called from a pay phone in town using a calling card and they blocked it. Thus why I believe my location is being tracked. How else would they know I was calling from a phone far away from my residence?
I have taken my ruined computers to the Apple genius bar eight times in the past month and had system software reloaded, diagnostic tests run to no avail. I paid to have each computer erased 7 times each yet the remote access code remains on each. That level of sophistication goes far beyond the capabilities of a “normal” hacker. I’m able to communicate this to you now only after spending over $4000.00 for a computer technician to configure and install an business-grade firewall that has so far kept them out. I had to buy a new computer ($1700) to bypass the infections on the three desktops and two laptops I’ve lost (replacement cost $4000). I still don’t have telephone communication as I haven’t figured out a way to stop them from intercepting cellular signals. And even if I did, I don’t dare plug either of my targeted iPhones into my new iMac.
It is no coincidence that I was rendered incommunicado after sending XXXXXX the suggested draft XXXXX used to XXXXXXXX. This all began when I unknowingly clicked on an email and a link within addressed to me from XXXXXX. By accessing the link I opened a port for them to download spyware on my main computer, then they simply networked to the others. Several days, maybe more than a week passed before I became aware of what happened. In that interim, they stole passwords to all my personal and professional accounts. They haven’t stolen any money yet. I surmise that hasn’t happened because theft would elevate the cybercrime to an automatic attention item with law enforcement.
I’ve changed what I can and reported what I’m describing here to my local FBI and police departments. Neither has acted. I’ve been to the FBI twice, meeting with their duty office assigned to public queries. The second time I went I asked specifically for a cybercrime agent but again was heard by a duty officer. Even though I explained I was targeted because of crimes on a larger scale, I was told they deal with bigger cases like banks or financial institutions. The local police say it’s too big for them. Again, unless I suffer a financial loss, no one will move. But at least I have it on record.
As I said before, the relentless attacks occurred daily and around the clock. Some of the darkest days were when no matter where I went or no matter how I tried, they were there to cut off any communication with anyone.
On January 5, 2015, former CBS News journalist Sharyl Attkisson reported on her website that she filed “administrative claims” naming The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Postal Service as defendants for allegedly participating in the hacking of her home and work computers, home security system, television reception, and cellular and home telephones. Her statement reads, in part:
As outlined in the claims, three separate computer forensics exams revealed that intruders used sophisticated, remote capabilities to monitor Attkisson’s work. The intruders installed and periodically “refreshed” software used to exfiltrate data, obtain Attkisson’s passwords to various personal and work accounts, access the CBS News computer system, and monitor Attkisson’s audio using a Skype account. Forensics also revealed evidence of U.S. government-related involvement in the surveillance…
The filing of the administrative claim is a necessary procedural step under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) prior to a citizen filing formal lawsuit complaints. Once the time for investigation is completed, the Government will be required to either take a formal step to resolve the complaint or litigation can be initiated. The administrative claim process is not required for the lawsuit alleging constitutional violations.
On the same day, Fox News and Politico reported that Attkisson was seeking $35 million in damages. Fox said that Attkisson’s claim is based on the government’s having “periodically refreshed software to steal data and obtain passwords on her home and work computers” and “that the hackers monitored her audio using a Skype account.”
When the breaches allegedly occurred, Attkisson, then with CBS, had been investigating the Obamacare law, the Fast & Furious gunrunning scandal, and the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya which took four American lives and injured approximately ten others.
Former NSA contractors turned whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Dennis Montgomery have reported knowledge of systemic surveillance of American citizens, whether or not they are suspected of participating in criminal or terrorist activity. Snowden is currently exiled in Russia, while Montgomery was given two FBI community agreements last year.
In a two-page online brochure on cyber-crime, the FBI states:
“We have both gone to our local police and the FBI,” the POA told us on Saturday evening. “They have terrorized us, stalked us and hacked us, including my work computer and children’s bank accounts. We have all of this proof. It’s domestic terrorism, and it’s an injustice.”
Just after publication, The Post & Email received the following message from one of the advocates:
They hacked the email account I sent. Yours likely compromised too. Recommend having a tech to check your network to see.