ALBANY — The investigation that led to the arrest of a 14-year-old out of Halifax, Nova Scotia last week faced early challenges as the suspect used advanced methods to mask his identity, including spoofed IP addresses and phone numbers.
“We are talking about several layers of obfuscation,” explained Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI’s Albany Field Office. “What we saw was voice-over IP, what we saw were VPNs being utilized… and spoofed IP addresses,” making it appear that the suspect was in multiple locations, including Texas.
According to Tremaroli, the teenager utilized Voice over IP services and Virtual Private Networks to mask his IP address and location. These tools allowed the suspect to appear as if he was calling from multiple locations, misdirecting authorities toward false leads across various states.
In addition, IP spoofing technology was used to further mislead investigators, adding layers of anonymity that complicated efforts to pinpoint the caller’s true location. According to the FBI, the suspect also operated on gaming and social media platforms—places where “communities of interest” share tips on concealing identities and discuss methods for carrying out undetected hoaxes.