Retrieving the phone numbers of thousands of passersby on the street using a simple box placed in a car: this is the process used by criminals 2.0. Several drivers of these contact theft vehicles were found like this by Parisian police officers, according to an investigation by Release.
The investigation led authorities to a French company called Scion Data Agency. This is how it would have recovered hundreds of thousands of phone numbers thanks to this tool called IMSI-catcher, capable of sucking data from a smartphone. A device normally reserved for law enforcement, but one that many Chinese online sales sites offer for a few thousand euros.
robbery threats
The fraud process is thus carried out in two stages: the first through the 4G frequency, which allows numbers to be recovered, and the second through the 2G frequency, which offers the possibility of sending fraudulent messages. While driving through the streets of Paris, the scammers detected thousands of phone numbers around their vehicle and immediately “sprayed” them with as many SMS.
These fraudulent messages, attributed to Health Insurance, were also followed by calls from bogus bank advisers who claimed that the SMS received a few minutes before was indeed false and that they had to oppose it. The scammed people were then redirected to an accomplice, a fake policeman, who indicated that a robbery was possible and that valuables needed to be taken to safety quickly. Several victims then delivered jewelry and credit cards to a fake courier.
Investigation opened by the CNIL
Research Release reports that more than 240,000 Orange customers were victims of these fraudulent SMS, between September 2022 and February 2023. An operation that, however, affected subscribers of all telephone operators. With Tech&Co, Orange confirms having filed a complaint in October 2022, after complaints from various customers. During the aspiration of your number, the latter could see its connection to the network interrupted for a few seconds or a few minutes.
Questioned by the police, the two businessmen behind Scion Data Agency claimed good faith and indicated that they had been listened to by the CNIL, since this IMSI-catcher device (they indicate that it is a “cellular transmitter”, which only sends data) will be mandatory for States in order to warn populations in case of emergency alerts. Problem: the independent authority denied any contact with the company, and even opened a control procedure.
The two “startuppeurs” are now charged with various crimes, including “organized gang fraud” and “unauthorized possession of a technical device intended to capture computer data.” Both were in pretrial detention.
Source: BFM TV
