Second man charged over SMS phishing scheme - Strike Force Kanbi
Monday, 23 December 2024 12:33:08 PM
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Cybercrime Squad detectives have charged a second man following the discovery of five SIM boxes in Roseberry earlier this year.
Strike Force Kanbi was established by State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad to investigate the use of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) boxes, which are an electronic device used to send bulk text messages across the Australian telecommunications network containing fraudulent links.
The text messages typically pertain to be a legitimate institution containing a fraudulent link, directing the victim to an illegitimate website for the purpose of financial gain.
Since early 2023, Strike Force Kanbi has seized over 50 SIM boxes that have sent a combined total exceeding a billion SMS phishing messages to members of the community.
In November 2024, strike force detectives seized an additional five SIM boxes and arrested and charged a 24-year-old man who remains before the courts.
The five sim boxes were responsible for sending approximately 44 million SMS phishing messages between March and November 2024.
Following further inquiries into those five SIM boxes, about 8am on Thursday 19 December 2024, strike force detectives – with assistance from North West Metropolitan Regional Enforcement Squad – executed a search warrant in Wahroonga.
During the search, police located 21 mobile phones, $5,600 in cash and evidence of over 30 phishing domains the man was allegedly operating to steal personal information. The identified phishing domains were taken down by police.
A 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Hornsby Police Station, where he was charged with use equipment connected to network to commit serious offence and dishonestly obtain/deal in personal financial information.
The man was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Friday 20 December 2024, where he was formally refused bail to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday 12 February 2025.
Police will allege the man was responsible for the set up and operation of various SIM box scam campaigns across Australia and abroad.