‘Godmothers’ Increasingly Powerful in Italian Mafia Families

October 30, 2016

Source: breitbart.com

There has been a steady increase in the number of women in power positions among the different branches of the Italian Mafia, with some as brutal and calculating as the men they are replacing, according to recent reports.

In the Camorra, for instance, the Naples-based Mafia clan, prosecutors estimate that the number of active women is 10 times higher than it was in the 1980s or ‘90s, and many more women are winding up arrested or killed.

Analysts suggest that the reason behind female Mafiose rising to power has nothing to do with feminist empowerment and everything to do with demographics. Women are taking over when their male family members are sent to jail or killed.

“There is a growing number of women who hold executive roles in the Camorra,” said General Gaetano Maruccia, commander of the Carabinieri paramilitary police in the Naples area. “They are either widows of mob bosses or wives of husbands who have been put in prison. They hold the reins.”

Mothers, daughters, sisters and sisters-in-law are “assuming ever-more leading roles,” according to Stefania Castaldi, a Naples-based prosecutor who investigates organized crime.

But for whatever the motives, the transition has been real and relentless.

“In Naples, we say, ‘The bosses gave their balls to their wives,’” says Cristina Pinto, a reformed Camorra boss who served 23 years of jail time for her crimes.

“Now the power is in the hands of the women mobsters. These women are worse than men. They order murders just like that, not even thinking about the consequences. They are violent and irrational. Money and power make them crazy,” she said.

This phenomenon is not limited to Naples. Women bosses or “godmothers” can now be found in every branch of the Italian Mafia: the Camorra in Naples, the Cosa Nostra in Sicily. the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria, and the Sacra Corona Unita in Apulia.

According to the Italian Ministry of Justice, more than 150 Mafia women are now locked up in Italian prisons, and nearly all of them had leadership roles in one of the Mafia branches.

In Sicily, for instance, having women in positions of power in Cosa Nostra is now an accepted reality, something that wasn’t the case just a few decades ago. According to one Palermo prosecutor, Francesca Mazzocco, there are around 20 Cosa Nostra families active in the main cities and towns of Sicily, a third of which are either led by women or have women among their most powerful members.

“If the husband was very strong, then the woman gets more respect,” Ms. Mazzocco said.

One of the groundbreakers was Giuseppa (Giusy) Vitale, the first woman considered the real head of a Sicilian crime family, or in local jargon, one of the “bosses in skirts and high heels.”

“Giusy is a woman who sacrificed her femininity to almost become a man, shaped by her brothers in their image and likeness, ruthless and cruel, ready to order a murder with the click of her fingers,” says Alessandra Ziniti, a journalist in Palermo with the Italian daily La Repubblica.

To avoid prison, Vitale later became a pentita, collaborating with law enforcement, and reportedly now lives under a witness protection program in a secret location.

Another Sicilian godmother, Teresa Marino, allegedly took over for her husband, Tommaso Lo Presti, when the latter was sent to prison for his Mafia activities in Palermo.

“The role she assumed as head of the clan shows that times have changed – these days there is equality of the sexes, even within Cosa Nostra,” said Leonardo Agueci, a Palermo prosecutor.

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Corporate espionage – webcams used to blackmail victims into spilling company secrets

July 19, 2016

Source: neowin.net

Delilah malware utilizes webcams to blackmail victims into spilling company secrets.

Cybercriminals are currently utilizing a new piece of malware to gather private moments of employees, which in turn is used as blackmail for these people to disclose secrets of companies they work for.

Threat intelligence firm Diskin Advanced Technologies (DAT) initially discovered the malware, which is named ‘Delilah.’ It is known as ‘the world’s first insider threat trojan’ due to its ability to capture and record footage of a company’s employees, which they can use to threaten them into divulging private company information, harming them in the long run.

The malware is distributed via multiple adult and gaming websites. Avivah Litan, a Gartner analyst, stated: “the bot comes with a social engineering plug in that connects to webcam operations so that the victim can be filmed without his or her knowledge.” Delilah gathers whatever information it can get, like the employee’s family and workplace.

Furthermore, to communicate with its victims, criminals are using encrypted channels like VPN software and Tor. Also, the malware’s victimization process requires a high amount of human involvement to be able to identify and prioritize individuals who can be extorted into operating as the malware’s insiders at desirable target firms.

As of now, DAT reports that the malware is still buggy, causing the screen to freeze for about 10 seconds, which is reportedly caused by the high volume of screenshots that the malware is taking. It also produces error messages when attempting to turn on a victim’s webcam.

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International investigations and security services

June 27, 2016

Source: ABP World Group Ltd.

ABP World Group is an independent security company, specializing in international investigations, corporate intelligence, child recovery and protective security operations.

Our agents are based around the world and have backgrounds which include work in the corporate sector, government service, law enforcement, foreign intelligence, law and media related services.

Clients have entrusted ABP World Group for over two decades with issues requiring professional attention.  We have the ability to assist quickly through our experience, knowledge and available resources.  We get the job done right the first time.

Blackmail – Origin of the word blackmail

To blackmail somebody is to exhort money or something else of value from them by the threat of exposing information that will harm them in a number of ways. Blackmail is a punishable criminal offense.

The word blackmail comes from the Scottish ‘mail’. In Scottish English this word used to mean ‘tax’ or ‘rent’.  Because of poor enforcement years ago in  Scotland farmers living along the borders of suffered at the hands of criminal gangs. These gangs would rob them and get away with little punishment. Poor farmers were incapable of fighting these looters. So they chose to pay them off. They would make some payment in exchange for protection and immunity from plunder.

In those days the usual modes of payment were cattle, grains and copper coins. These were considered black. And this system of exhorting money from poor farmers was called ‘blackmail’. It means ‘black tax’ or ‘black rent’. If a farmer chose to pay in silver coins, then it was called ‘white mail’.Whether your problem is a personal issue or a corporate crisis, contact us now to arrange a confidential discussion.

In the world today, blackmail means to demand money, or other item of value from someone in return for not revealing compromising or injurious information.  ABP World Group’s agents can assist you in dealing with issues arising from this type of fraud as well as personal security issues or corporate crisis.  Contact us now to arrange a confidential discussion.

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2 French journalists charged on allegations of trying to blackmail Moroccan king

September 3, 2015

Source: USnews

French authorities have handed two journalists preliminary extortion charges on accusations that they tried to blackmail Moroccan King Mohammed VI.

A handout picture shows Morocco’s King Mohammed VI giving a speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the People and the King’s Revolution in Rabat on August 20, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Azzouz BoukallouchAZZOUZ BOUKALLOUCH/AFP/Getty Images

The Paris prosecutor’s office said Saturday that French writers Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were released under judicial supervision after being given the charges.

A French lawyer for the king said the journalists demanded 3 million euros ($3.4 million) in exchange for not publishing a compromosing new book about Mohammed VI. He said they were arrested in a sting operation.

The two are known for their critical writings about the king. The case has drawn widespread attention in Morocco, where the monarchy is considered above criticism.

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Utpressing, narkotikasalg og trusler begås oftest av personer med en tung kriminell bakgrunn

Desember 29 , 2014

Kilde: Dagbladet, Aftenposten og Lovdata

Utpressing, narkotikasalg og trusler begås oftest av personer med tung kriminell bakgrunn. Utpresseren har vanligvis en tett tilknytning til organiserte kriminelle miljøer.

“Utpressing, etter straffeloven av 1902 § 266 det at noen i vinnings hensikt ved rettsstridig atferd eller ved å true med slik atferd tvinger noen til å foreta en handling (oftest utbetale penger) som volder tap eller fare for tap for ham selv eller noen han handler på vegne av”.

– I sju år har vi samlet erfaringer og rapporter om vold, utpressing, narkotikasalg, købråk og trusler på klubbene. I mellom 80 til 90 prosent av tilfellene startes det dessverre av folk med ikke-norsk etnisk bakgrunn, sier Vivike. I dag bygger han opp restauranten BAR på Tjuvholmen ved Aker Brygge.

– Nattklubber er en attraktiv arena for det kriminelle miljøet, der de viser fram makt og penger som ikke kan oppgis i selvangivelsen. Torpedovirksomhet og trusler mot gjester og eiere kan skje og da forsvinner raskt den gode stemningen vi forsøker å lage på våre steder, sier Vivike.

Hovedmannen på 32 år er dømt til ett år og elleve måneders fengsel for to tilfeller av fullbyrdet utpressing, trusler og et tilfelle av voldsbruk. En 31-åring fikk halvannet år i fengsel. To andre, som hadde mer perifere roller i utpressingene, er dømt til henholdsvis 90 og 60 dagers fengsel. En femte tiltalt har politiet ikke fått tak i.

Utpressingen har foregått på kjente utesteder som Andys Pub midt i Oslo sentrum. I tillegg har pengeutpressingen skjedd på utestedene Mosquito, Club Stereo og Dixie.

Et av ofrene drev to av stedene. Dommen beskrivere ofre som har vært livredde for sine egne liv og mulige følger for familien. En av de utpressede gikk med skuddsikker vest i flere dager etter at truslene og pengekravene ble fremsatt.

Flere av de dømte er tidligere dømt i blant annet volds- og narkotikasaker. De hadde et rykte som ifølge vitneforklaringer spredte frykt i Oslos utelivsverden.

Unik sak

Aktor i saken, politiadvokat Øyvind Aass Havnevik ved Sentrum politistasjon, karakteriserer denne saken som unik i norsk sammenheng.

– Dette er en type kriminalitet vi har vært forskånet fra i Norge, og det er lenge siden noen har vært domfelt for noe lignende. I andre land har dette vært utbredt. Vi har hatt kunnskaper om dette fenomenet i Oslo en tid, men nå er ikke slik utpressing av utesteder noe problem lenger, sier Havnevik til Aftenposten.no.

Han forteller at de fornærmede under rettssaken har karakterisert utpressingen som mafiametoder.

Trusler

Gjengen har benyttet påståtte fornærmelser, tap av dørvaktjobb og påståtte tyverier fra andre gjester som påskudd for å innkreve såkalte «bøter» fra de tre lederne på utestedene. Hvis de ikke betalte, ville kravet straks stige til flere hundre tusen kroner.

Ved flere tilfeller ble det også utøvd direkte vold mot de utpressede og deres nærmeste familie i form av slag i ansiktet. Andre ganger kunne de komme med antydninger om at de bar våpen på innerlommen som et godt «argument» for at offeret måtte betale summer på opp mot 50.000 kroner.

«Jeg skal vise deg mafia» og «Deg skal jeg drepe, du slipper ikke unna» var replikker som ble avlevert for å understreke alvoret. Ved tre tilfeller ble det også utbetalt pengebeløp, som de dømte nå er ilagt å betale tilbake med renter. De dømte må også betale oppreisning på 30.000 – 50.000 kroner til sine ofre.

Sterke reaksjoner

Retten har lagt vekt på hvilket press ofrene har vært utsatt for og hvilke følger dette har fått for den enkelte. En karakteriseres som traumatisert, og han har vært sykmeldt ett år. I retten ble det fremlagt legeerklæring om at truslene var en av årsakene til at han har problemer med å komme seg tilbake i arbeidslivet.

Et annet offer bærer fortsatt voldsalarm. Han innførte meldeplikt til nær familie. Ifølge forklaringen var han livredd for sitt eget liv, og hva som kunne skje med familien.

Det tredje offeret viste frem bilder av tre av de tiltale til sin gravide samboer med beskjeden: «Hvis du ser en av disse, må du ringe politiet». Han fjernet også alle navn fra postkassen, og ba samboeren skifte til gardiner som dekket hele vinduet. Selv skaffet han seg voldsalarm og «sikkerhetsspray».

De første dagene etter at truslene ble fremsatt brukte han skuddsikker vest. Senere ble vesten liggende i bilen, men da de tiltalte slapp ut av varetekt tok han frem vesten igjen.

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How To Deal With Extortion / Blackmail

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How to deal with money extortion

Extortion is a crime in which one person forces another person to do something against his will, generally to give up money or other property, by threat of violence, property damage, damage to the person’s reputation, or extreme financial hardship. Extortion involves the victim’s consent to the crime, but that consent is obtained illegally. 

If you had a business, and people came to you demanding money for “protection” or else they would rob/kill you, what would you do?

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Organized crime syndicates use extortion methods more and more often.. Remember – You are not alone. Help is available. ABP World Group Ltd. Specialize in helping extortion victims. – World Wide.

Examples of Extortion

A classic example of extortion is the “protection” scheme where figures with ties to organized crime demand that shop owners pay for their protection to prevent something bad (such as an assault on the shopkeeper or damage to his or her store or goods) from happening.  Many states also considerblackmail, where a victim is forced to pay someone to prevent them from releasing information that could damage their reputation or their business, to be a form of extortion.

Typically, as in those examples, extortion involves threats of future violence or harm rather than immediate violence or harm, but extortion can involve immediate violence.  For example, it would still be extortion if the offenders in the above example assaulted the shopkeeper to force him to pay them the required protection money instead of threatening to do so in the future. In such cases, extortion becomes very similar to robbery.

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How to deal with it

1. 1

   Whatever you do, don’t take the situation into your own hands. Harming others or yourself is never the answer, and never will be. Be aware that the job of punishing and stopping crimes is what police are for. Stay calm and don’t make any rash decisions. You aren’t alone, and you can get out of this.

2. 2

   Talk to someone. Tell a friend who you are CERTAIN you can trust, an understanding family member, or a smart and calm teacher.

3. 3

   Once you have cleared your head, think about what you’re going to do. The person you talked to might have already suggested some things you should do. Take them into account.

1. 4

   Make a plan. Make sure that the plan can’t go wrong. If it does happen to go wrong, it won’t be anything that you will regret.

2. 5

   Now, put your plan into action. Call the police and go ahead with it. They may require you to go through another blackmailing session so they have proof the person is blackmailing you. If so, don’t worry. The police will be close by and get to you within seconds. You don’t have to go through with it. They can simply make sure you are well away from the person. Note: Sometimes the risk  can be so serious, that the Police can`t be involved.

• Talking to somebody regularly while all of this is happening or writing down everything can help get out all of those mixed up, strong feelings.
• Do things to make sure you’re calm and healthy while this is happening. Don’t just let go and panic-try to maintain your daily schedule and stay calm.
• Don’t panic and think, “I don’t have anyone, I’ll never get out of this!” Even if you live hundreds of miles away from family and friends, there are lifelines and counselors who are specially trained to help. If you have nobody, pick up the phone and call a hotline, or schedule an appointment with a counselor. Face to face contact is probably the best. Tell this person everything-starting from who the person is, how it started, and why they are blackmailing you.
• Make sure there is no danger involved, and nothing against the law. It may be tempting to punch the person blackmailing once the cops have got them, but that is not a good idea. Your plan should involve authorities of some kind, unless the information the blackmailer is threatening to reveal could land you in jail.

• Never try to do this alone.

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Panic / Safe Rooms and Underground Survival Shelters

Safe rooms are the single most important means for reliably separating the home owner or employees from intruders while providing a safe place to await the arrival of police or on-site security. We can also deliver underground and survival shelters.

ABP World Group Ltd. deliver one of the safest and advanced panic room / safe rooms available today. – World Wide.

The simplest safe room is simply a closet with the hollow-core door replaced with an exterior-grade solid-core door that has a deadbolt and longer hinge screws and strike-plate screws to resist battering. Sometimes, the ceiling is reinforced, or gated, to prevent easy access from the attic or from an overhead crawlspace.

More expensive safe rooms, such as those constructed for celebrities and executives, have walls and a door reinforced with sheets of steel, Kevlar, or bullet-resistant fibreglass. The hinges and strike plate are often reinforced with long screws. Some safe rooms may also have a externally-vented ventilation systems and a separate telephone connection. They might also connect to an escape shaft.

Safe rooms in the basement can be built with concrete walls, a building technique that is normally not possible on the upper floors of wood-framed structures unless there is substantial structural reinforcement to the building.

Safe rooms may contain communications equipment, such as a cellular telephone, land-line telephone or an amateur radio transceiver, so that law enforcement authorities can be contacted. There may also be a monitor for external security cameras and an alarm system. In basic safe rooms, a peephole in the door may be used for a similar purpose. Safe rooms are typically stocked with basic emergency and survival items such as a flashlight, blankets, a first-aid kit, water, packaged food, self-defence tools, firearms, a gas mask, and a simple portable toilet.

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