ProDefence at the Regional Conference of Intelligence Analysts: financial fraud and disinformation in the age of AI
Event report, November 2024.
In November 2024, ProDefence CEO Alexandru Angheluș spoke at the Regional Conference of Intelligence Analysts in Iași about fake cryptocurrency trading platforms and the role of artificial intelligence in spreading false information. The conference was organised by the Territorial Intelligence Analysis Unit together with the Romanian General Police Inspectorate and the Central Intelligence Analysis Unit.
Key points
- Information analysis connects fragmented data into usable intelligence in cybercrime, violent crime and financial fraud cases.
- The presentation covered how fraudulent crypto platforms work and how disinformation spreads through digital channels.
- Artificial intelligence plays a double role: a tool for attackers and a defence against fake news and scams.
- Cybercrime and traditional crime increasingly overlap, so analysts need digital investigation skills.
Why information analysis matters
In criminal investigations, information analysis turns scattered data points (transactions, communications, accounts, devices) into a coherent picture. Whether the case involves cybercrime, homicide, robbery or financial fraud, analysts help identify suspects, understand criminal patterns and direct limited resources where they matter most.
The presentation: fake crypto platforms and fake news
The keynote was titled:
“Financial fraud: fake cryptocurrency trading platforms. Fake news: the role of artificial intelligence in disseminating false information.”
It covered three topics:
- how fraudulent trading platforms attract and deceive users in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, from advertising to the moment withdrawals are blocked;
- the techniques used to spread disinformation, especially through social media and messaging apps;
- the double role of artificial intelligence, used by criminals to scale fraud and false content, and by defenders to detect it.
The main message was the growing convergence between cybercrime and traditional crime: almost every investigation now has a digital component, which requires stronger capabilities in both digital investigation and intelligence analysis.
Collaboration between institutions and the private sector
As a member of CYSCOE, the Cyber Security Cluster of Excellence, ProDefence contributes experience in threat intelligence, digital investigations and AI-assisted analysis. The conference confirmed the importance of inter-institutional collaboration and public-private partnerships: shared information, joint training and operational agility.
How ProDefence can help
ProDefence supports lawyers, companies and institutions with technical analysis in cybercrime cases and with analysis of electronic fraud and suspicious files. Related reading: Financial fraud and fake news: the role of artificial intelligence.
