A mystery woman who dropped-off envelopes containing a cryptic note and a USB drive of propaganda to Invercargill businesses, has appeared elsewhere.
The diminutive woman, who was wearing a large brimmed hat and a mask, wastrespassed from Invercargill Airport last Friday.
She had handed out envelopes from her trolley bag around the city’s CBD, which contained a note saying:
‘’Please protect your country and its people (important)’’.
“Taxpayers and university students should know the truth, as it can help protect your family and your safety. Please do not pass this to Chinese.”
Multiple readers contacted Stuff to say a person matching the same description had visited their workplaces, in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland over the last two years.
That included a visit to Canterbury University where the woman, who was wearing a mask and large brimmed hat, dropped envelopes containing the USB to different tables of students.
In all cases the woman spoke very little when handing over the envelope. While most people disposed of the USB fearing a virus of some sort, some passed them onto police while at least one examined the contents.
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A USB flash drive and a cryptic note were contained in an envelope and handed to some businesses.
That Auckland person, who declined to be named, said the information on the 16GB USB flash drive, which one New Zealand electronics retailer sells for $6 each was about the Chinese government, and allegations of spying in New Zealand.
Two readers alleged the woman was involved with Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa
Earlier this week Invercargill-based Falun Dafa member told Stuff she was not aware of the person, or of the USB flash drives delivered around the city.
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A USB flash drive and a cryptic note we’re contained in an envelope and handed to some businesses.
’’I don’t know anything about this.’’
The group did not reply to a request for comment.
A NZ intelligence community spokesperson said: “There is a long-standing understanding that the Intelligence agencies do not comment on whether they are or are not aware of particular cases’’.
The spokesperson added that it was standard information security advice that people should not plug a USB flash drive into a system ‘’if you do not know what is on it or where it is from’’.
Meanwhile, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), the government’s public cybersecurity agency, also strongly advised to never plug in USB devices that come from an unknown source.
Senior Threat Analyst Sam Leggett says that “unless you’re one hundred percent sure of what’s on the drive and where it came from, do not plug it in’’.
Source：https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/132445571/mystery-woman-behind-propaganda-usb-and-cryptic-note-spotted-in-other-new-zealand-centres
