AIS Spoofing

AIS spoofing is the broadcast of falsified Automatic Identification System data, MMSI, position, course, identity, or a fabricated track, to disguise a vessel’s true movements. It is a hallmark of sanctions evasion, letting a tanker appear to sit in one location while it loads sanctioned crude elsewhere, and it can also be used to seed false targets or mask a port call. Detection relies on cross-checking satellite AIS against imagery and on persistent-identity analytics that bind IMO number, call sign, and name.