Black-hat hacker group TeaMp0ison pranks UK’s Anti-terrorist hotline

The black-hat hacking group known as TeaMp0ison has been trying to wind up Mi6’s Anti-Terrorist hotline staff with a prank call.

According to a report on ZDnet the recording was announced in a tweet by the group and a YouTube video with a recording of the call plays out a conversation with TeaMp0ison member TriCk.

TriCk calls Mi6 Anti-Terrorism Command – #TeaMp0isoN– youtube.com/watch?v=PEBQox… –

— TriCk (@_TeaMp0isoN) April 11, 2012

TeaMp0ison is known for attempts to access private data owned by members of the UK government and hacking the UN to release emails and passwords.

The latest attack appears to be more of a prank than an attempt to take down a site or find information to spread on the Web. In the call, TriCk draws attention to the case of Ryan Cleary, the 19 year old in the UK who was recently jailed for breaching bail conditions.

Among other charges, Cleary stands accused of hacking the website of the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency as part of the Lulsec group and will reappear before a judge in May.

According to ZDnet, police confirmed that an investigation is under way and a spokesperson for the London police said “We are aware of an issue whereby telephone conversations relating to the anti-terror hotline have been recorded.”

It’s not hard to recall calls to any number you can think of, though it is usual discretion to state that you are recording in more normal situations. In contrast, Anonymous has been known to intercept calls between the FBI and Scotland Yard.

The contents of this call appear to be more about mocking the police and wasting their time rather than any serious threat and the Anti-Terrorist line staff appear to take the prank call with some grace.

The Anti-Terrorist Hotline is a facility where the public can report things that they think may be a cause for concern.

It’s hard to say if this challenge was a marketing ploy on the part of TriCk and TeaMp0ison to attract attention, but you can bet that their activity will now be monitored in similar ways to Anonymous and Lulzsec.

Update: 

Two teenage boys have been arrested in connection with this call according to a report on the BBC. They have been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Malicious Communications Act and the Computer Misuse Act.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said the boys were arrested by detectives specialising in e-crime and that they remain in custody in the West Midlands.

Ailsa Beaton, director of information at Scotland Yard, said police remained confident their communications systems were secure and had not been breached stating, “The public can remain confident in the ability to communicate in confidence and that the integrity of the Anti-Terrorist Hotline remains in place.”