Police warn of SMS scams as 'blaster' is used to send texts

10 months ago

A portable phone mast, called an 'SMS blaster,' is being used by fraudsters to send scam text messages to nearby mobile phones.
The blaster tricks phones into connecting to a fake 2G network, bypassing anti-spam measures and allowing criminals to send fraudulent messages without needing victims' numbers.
Ruichen Xiong, a Chinese student, was jailed for over a year for using an SMS blaster in London to send fake tax refund messages.
SMS blasters are a new tool for scammers, first encountered by UK police in 2024, with cases also reported in New Zealand and Thailand.
The messages often contain links to harvest personal or financial details for further fraud.
Android users can disable 2G to avoid such attacks, while iPhone users can filter messages from unknown contacts.
In the US and UK, suspicious messages can be forwarded to 7726 for investigation.

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