Telecom Fraud Alerts - Jan - Mar 2020

NCA, GRA, KelniGVG bust SIM Box fraudsters at Tema

A SIM Box syndicate operating at Community 11 in Tema in the Greater-Accra Region has been busted in a combined operation by officials of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), KelniGVG and the Ghana Police Service.

* Source: www.biztechafrica.com

8 persons arrested for SIM box fraud in Uganda

Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC), in collaboration with local police, conducted an anti-telecom fraud operation that resulted in the arrest of 8 people. UCC reported it has also seized over 1,500 SIM cards and 4 SIM Boxes, in the areas of Masanafu, Rubaga division, Kasubi, Clement Hill Road in Central Division and Nakawa market.

* Source: www.ecofinagency.com

Beware: South Africans are falling victim to cellphone porting scam

Customers at risk after scammers commit fraudulent SIM swaps. Service providers have been blasted for not having proper security measures in place to protect the identities of their clients. This after several cellphone users from different service providers fell victim to identity theft in a number-porting scam.

* Source: www.timeslive.co.za

Joint Turkish-German operation targets telecom fraud

Turkish and German police launched on Wednesday joint operations against telecom scammers illegally swindling money from elderly people in Germany, a judicial source said. The group of 76 scammers includes Turkish, German, Albanian, Polish and Brazilian nationals, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking with the media.

* Source: www.aa.com.tr

‘Wangiri’ scammers continue to target mobile phones

“This is basically a mobile premium scam,” Delia Rickard from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) told the ABC. “What happens is somebody calls you, lets the phone ring once and [then hangs up]. They do it multiple times and what they want you to do is call them back.”

* Source: www.mygc.com.au

Police warn about spoof and scam phone calls

Local police warn spoofing scams are happening in Huntsville targeting retail businesses, and they say smaller retail businesses can be at risk. It can happen through email and caller ID spoofing, as scammers try to get employees of retail businesses to pay up.

* Source: www.rocketcitynow.com

26 SIM Swappers arrested in Spain, Austria, and Romania

Europol has announced its success in dismantling two SIM swapping networks in Spain, Austria, and Romania. Named operation “Quintentos Dusim” and operation “Smart Cash,” they were both the results of lengthy investigations that led to the arrests of 26 individuals.

* Source: www.technadu.com

Eight people from Hampshire sentenced for complex phone and email fraud

An organised crime group have been jailed for a combined total of 18 years and 2 months after gaining access to as many as 2,000 BT customers’ accounts in an elaborate phone and email divert scam.

* Source: www.hampshire.police.uk

Hackers are breaking directly into telecom companies to take over customer phone numbers

SIM swappers have escalated from bribing employees to using remote desktop software to get direct access to internal T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint tools.

* Source: https://www.vice.com

For all previous fraud alerts click on the following link: https://www.subex.com/fraud-alerts/

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