Drug Traffickers Target Location Enabled Apps

Do you know who your employees are ‘talking’ to on their devices, or even who your child is chatting with on their smartphone?

Social Media and digital platforms with location enabled apps such as WeChat, EskomSePush and Telegram, which allow users to find others in close proximity to them, are being used by cybercriminals to carry out a host of crimes, including drug dealing.

As the festive season approaches and holiday crimes increase, keeping personal information safe and making sure that your family does the same has never been more important.

Here’s what you need to know about the security threat posed by criminals that have access to your location data through location enabled apps.

EskomSePush and other apps – a tool for drug pushers

Load shedding has been a reality for South Africans since 2008, and the app EskomSePush has made life a lot easier for us during times of uncertain power supply. Unfortunately, the “find users near me” function, which was designed to let neighbours find and help each other during blackouts, is being used by drug dealers for nefarious purposes.

Children are often targeted by drug dealers to be used as moles and pick up or delivery agents because the law doesn’t allow a person under 12 years of age to be prosecuted for drug possession.

Law enforcement authorities have reported several incidents in which drug dealers used the app’s location function to communicate with nearby people – especially children – and rope them into their illegal dealings.

WeChat, a popular messaging app developed in China, may also be used by criminals to connect with people nearby and either attempt to scam them or involve them in illegal activities.

Platform owner interventions

Sadly, drug markets, child trafficking, document forgery and other such crimes have been digitally enhanced and even enabled by technology which remains a key driver of these illicit trades.

Platform owners are continuously updating and adapting their detection systems to deal with cryptic emojis and banned words, but with user behaviour constantly changing, the reality is that any real security would hamper the functionality of location enabled apps.

Stranger danger online: educate before it’s too late

Allowing your children to associate with strangers online poses an immediate danger to you and your family. Parents should be especially careful about giving their children access to mobile devices with apps like EskomSePush installed.

It’s essential to keep yourself and your family out of harm’s way by educating your children about the dangers of communicating with strangers online.

Keep your data safe with us

The risks involved with being connected to the internet continue to rise, and safeguarding your data is non-negotiable.

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