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The Australian Federal Police has coordinated a raft of state police forces in a nationwide operation against large-scale phishing campaigns.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has revealed its role in a National Day of Action action against scammers allegedly engaged in large-scale SIM box operations.
On 18 July, the AFP’s Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre helped coordinate actions between the NSW Police Force, Western Australia Police Force, Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, Queensland Police Service, and AUSTRAC, leading to the arrest of five individuals.
Three alleged scammers were arrested in NSW, and two people in Victoria to proceed by summons. Offences include using equipment connected to a network to commit a serious offence, dishonestly obtaining/dealing in personal financial information, tampering with evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal, and failing to comply with digital evidence access order direction.
A total of six search warrants were executed across suburbs in both states, and more than 40 SIM boxes – devices used to send SMS phishing messages to a large number of potential victims – were seized.
“Criminals will send millions of deceptive text messages to Australian mobile users’ casting a wide net over the entire community in an attempt to trap and defraud as many victims as possible,” AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said in a statement.
“If not disrupted through police action, the SIM boxes had a combined potential to continue to distribute between 4 and 6 million fraudulent messages every day.
“The AFP will not tolerate the exploitation of Australians, especially victims who have had their personal data stolen, and is working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the criminal exploitation of SIM boxes nationwide.
“We encourage people to protect themselves against phishing scams by carefully reviewing emails or text messages before clicking on any links. If you think you are a victim of a phishing scam, please report it to police via the report button at www.cyber.gov.au.
“There is virtually no legitimate reason to have a SIM box in your home. We encourage anyone, whether you are a landlord conducting an inspection on a rental property or a guest visiting someone’s home, if you see a SIM box to report it to police.
“If you work in retail and someone comes in buying hundreds of SIM cards or dozens of mobile phones, please report it to your management and to police.”
The Commander of the NSW Police Force cyber crime squad, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, praised the work of the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
“The JPC3 fosters a collaborative approach where law enforcement is concerned, and NSW Police have worked closely with national and state agencies in a bid to disrupt and prevent the use of SIM boxes nationwide,” Superintendent Craft said.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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