Australian man charged with sending 17 million scam text messages

Australian police on Wednesday charged a man with sending about 17 million scam text messages, or one to every adult living in the country. A resident of the suburbs of SydneyAccording to New South Wales Police, a 39-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, is the sole author of the hoax messages.

Mobile phone users across the country received messages containing fake links from Australia Post or toll road concessionaires. They were allegedly sent via “SIM boxes” capable of sending tens of thousands of messages per day.

A great phishing technique

The man was charged with using network devices to “commit a serious offence”. He was released on bail. ” Phishing SMS (Phishing) is one of the most common tactics used by fraudsters to obtain banking information and personal data from victims,” ​​said Jason Smith. Cybercrime Brigade of the police.

“SIM boxes can hold more than 250 active SIM cards and can typically send 150,000 messages per day, intended to lure victims.”

20 minutes with AFP