The Secret Inquirer -- 04/01/09

Cultural norms include the wide variety of discussions people entertain themselves with every day. General information, news, and gossip are exchanged in short duration informal settings. This idiosyncrasy of our society provides the foundation of how to extract information in clever ways. Any person with technical knowledge, curiosity, and persistence can find out just about anything they set their mind to in a quest.

And so it goes...

The Observer now frustrated by a straightforward approach to determine some answers now embarked on a much more involved effort to find the information desired. This new endeavor involved a systematic approach to information gathering using technology and first-hand contact with people in remote places. The system would be broken down into phases: a new aliased identity; the establishing of the technical infrastructure; the investigative approach using technology; and, making physical contact with people by the results of the first three methods. The goal was to find out all the Observer could about the Observed.

Phase one required the acquisition of a new alias identity. In the early part of the 21st century before 9/11, money could purchase in a nearby foreign nation, fake identification showing a new aliased name and disguised features. Using that new identify a bank account with credit card links was established on foreign soil, exempt from the scrutiny of the true country of origin's enforcement departments. All it took was money to create a new person who was never born and leave no trace of the real identity of the Observer.

Phase two involved using the new aliased identity to purchase computer equipment installed with the ability to search out the Internet by using specialized software. There were several computers deployed to layer the protection from anyone seeking the origination of the special searches.

Phase three involved obtaining lists of people associated with the Observed. Likely sources were discussion groups, associates in volunteer organizations, newspaper accounts of archived achievements. Another approach used the telephone network where the Observed worked or volunteered, seeking out voice mail recordings of associates whose mailbox owner left tell-tail indicators of departmental information. From that aspect alone, detail outline of the corporate structure of where the Observed worked could be developed for further usage.

Other methods of information extraction were used to build representations of the networks of likely people who knew the Observed and how the Observed interacted with them. Thus matrices of friends, workers, extended family members could be developed indicating the mapping of the various relationships to each other and the Observed.

After a certain length of time, a list of real person contacts could be created with whom direct contact with the Observed could be relied upon with a reasonable degree of certainty. Now the real work began.

Using the real contact list, the Observer using the aliased identity joined some of the same discussion lists as was frequented by the Observed. After a short time reading the various messages, specific new messages were posted by the Observer with the intent of drawing in responses by those on the real person list. This established the first-level contact with those people so that in time, they could become comfortable responding to the aliased Observer.

At the same time the aliased Observer could make telephone calls using voice-over-Ip from the secured off-shore computers to the places where the Observed worked and volunteered. Questions of those staffs involved inquiring upon further information on the Observed. In some case, the person on those staffs knew the aliased Observer from the previously mentioned discussion groups, allowing further credence towards the acceptability of the aliased Observer.

All of the gathered information was complied, grouped and using specialized software, analyzed for core elements of knowledge about the Observed. Access was obtained to password-protected websites where photos and other personal information about the Observed could be obtained.

The preparation to that point leveraged all available gathered information with the desire to gain friendship and or rapport with those on the real-person list. This was necessary for the final phase of activity. The risks for the Observer to now being discovered were minimized to acceptable levels.

Finally, the last phase of the quest was ready to begin. A trip was made to the place where the Observed lived. Using the disguise and fake identification, the Observer could freely make personal contact with those previously communicated with, further solidifying the legitimacy in unsuspecting minds.

Not only could the Observer receive valid information on the Observed, but a feed-back loop with those contacted could be initiated allowing references to archived news articles and links to particular web pages to plant seeds of curiosity. The entire process seemed so natural to the way people exchange information, that no one noticed any pattern.

In due time, with enough new contacts established, the computer systems used in phase two were no longer needed. The aliased Observer could work completely out in the open without concern of discovery. Even direct contact between the Observed and the disguised aliased Observer could be made at certain social events. The Observed never knew about the deception.

After a long process all the information sought by the Observer was complied and considered for use. Only sporadic contact with the former deceived group was required after that to maintain this artificial information gathering network. The goal achieved and the answers known.

April Fools!

Don