RETRIBUTION: SMISHING – DCPCU Two Arrested in Connection with Huge Smishing campaign

Gibraltar: Wednesday, 12 June 2024 at 09:59 CET

RETRIBUTION: SMISHING – DCPCU Two Arrested in Connection with Smishing campaign hosted on homemade mobile antenna

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RETRIBUTION: SMISHING – DCPCU Officers from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), working with mobile network operators, Ofcom and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have arrested two people in connection with an investigation into a homemade mobile antenna that was capable of sending thousands of Smishing text messages to unsuspecting users.

In what is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, an illegal telephone mast is believed to have been used as an “SMS blaster” to send messages that bypass mobile phone networks’ systems in place to block suspicious text messages.

T/Detective Chief Inspector David Vint, head of the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit
(DCPCU), said: “The criminals committing these types of crimes are only getting smarter, working
in more complex ways to trick unknowing members of the public and steal whatever they can get
their hands on. It is vital we work with partners to help prevent the public from falling victim to
fraud.” “Remember, a bank or another official authority will not ask you to share personal
information over text or phone. If you think you have received a fraudulent text message,
report it by forwarding it to 7726.”

How to protect yourself from potential phishing text messages in the UK:

Most phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report suspicious text
messages for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can
investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it’s found to be
malicious.

If you’ve lost money or provided financial information as a result of a phishing scam, notify
your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling
0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.