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An Auckland teen has been arrested after using a sophisticated device “never before seen in New Zealand” to send fraud texts, including around 700 in one night.
The 19-year-old male was arrested and a “smishing device” was seized following a search warrant at a residential address in central Auckland on August 23.
The device, known as an SMS blaster, is a false cell tower which tricks nearby mobile devices into connecting to a fraudulent network.
Smishing, which is a form of phishing, involves the SMS Blaster sending fraudulent text messages pretending to be from banks to trick people into sharing or verifying sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details.
The smishing device, also known as an SMS blaster. Photo / Police
“The text claimed the recipient’s bank account was being checked for fraudulent funds and urged them to click a verification link.
The device, known as an SMS blaster, is a false cell tower which tricks nearby mobile devices into connecting to a fraudulent network. Photo / Police
“This redirected the recipient to phishing sites, imitating official bank domains, where unsuspecting customers then entered their personal details, including customer ID and password.”
Williams said almost 120 people are known to have been affected, but no financial losses have been reported.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) digital messaging and systems team was alerted to the scam in late July after irregularities were identified.
Police and DIA were supported by other government agencies, the banking and mobile phone sectors as well as Australia’s AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
“By working together, we have been able to counter this technology, locate the alleged offender and prevent what could have been large-scale financial losses for many New Zealanders,” Williams said.
DIA digital messaging manager Joe Teo says this operation is a great example of government and industry working together.
“We will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to combat the spread of harmful SMS messages.
“If you receive a scam SMS text message, please report it free of charge by forwarding the message to 7726 and following the prompts.”
Telecommunications Forum CEO Paul Brislen said the speed of the response is good news for consumers.
The SMS blaster was the first of its kind to be recovered by police in New Zealand. Photo / Police
“By working closely with banking and law enforcement we were able to identify and react quickly to this new threat, potentially saving thousands of customers from fraudulent activity.”
ANZ NZ’s head of customer protection Alan Thomsen said the bank continues to monitor all customer transactional activity in real-time.
“This smishing scam is the latest version of one that has been around for several years, and sadly won’t be the last.
“ANZ will never send our customers text messages asking them to click on a link to log into internet banking or provide their customer information.”
ASB technology and operations executive general manager David Bullock said the nature of this scam shows how important cross-sector collaboration is to keep New Zealanders safe.
“No one industry can solve the problem of scams working alone.
“We remind New Zealanders to exercise caution, not click on links in text messages, or provide personal information, log-in details or transfer any money after receiving a cold call or text message.
“If you think your account has been compromised, call your bank as soon as possible on its publicly listed phone number.”
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Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.
