Authorities Say One Crime Ring Helped Scammers Unlock Countless Smartphones
An investigation uncovered how deep the alleged phishing scheme went.
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Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxWith so much personal information stored in our mobile devices, it’s no wonder that criminals consistently target phones as a way to commit fraud or perpetrate a scam. And while you might think that enhanced security features would make your phone at least a little more difficult to compromise, officials say criminals almost always stay one step ahead.
Investigating iServer
There are multiple techniques scammers might consider when it comes to unlocking a stolen device, but the European Cybercrime Center within Europol says there’s one service that stands out from the pack. It had reportedly been in operation under the umbrella of iServer, a company based in Argentina that had become known for offering various phishing strategies.
Investigators say one such service helped criminals know what information to enter into a batch of stolen iPhones to circumvent built-in security measures.
During the course of the Europol probe, authorities identified more than 2,000 suspects accused of using the service to unlock phones. Early estimates indicate more than 1.2 million devices were unlocked through the scheme.
Furthermore, nearly half a million people reported receiving requests for personal information, which authorities believe was part of a massive phishing spree.
Group-IB’s discovery
Much of the information about this alleged phishing ring came as the result of work done by a security firm called Group-IB. The agency reportedly found evidence of the service available through iServer’s platform and contacted authorities.
According to a statement from Group-IB: “The phishing attacks are specifically designed to gather data that grants access to physical mobile devices, enabling criminals to acquire users’ credentials and local device passwords to unlock devices or unlink them from their owners.”
To achieve this goal, the firm claims, iServer used “phishing pages that imitate popular cloud-based platforms” in hopes of fooling victims.
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