European police have arrested 10 people for allegedly hijacking cell phones belonging to high profile celebrities in the United States.
British authorities arrested eight people on Tuesday in England and Scotland, while two others had already been detained in Belgium and Malta.
European police agency Europol said the criminal network allegedly stole personal information and more than $ 100 million (€ 82.4 million) in cryptocurrency.
These attacks involved deactivating a victim’s cell phone SIM card so that the number could be transferred to another card under the group’s control.
Europol said the “swap of simulations” can be done either by fooling the phone company with “social engineering techniques” or by using a “corrupt insider”.
No celebrities were named, but the attack reportedly targeted “well-known” figures in the sports and music industry.
“The attacks orchestrated by this criminal gang have targeted thousands of victims throughout 2020, including famous internet influencers, sports stars, musicians and their families”, Europol declared Wednesday.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) added that investigators warned victims when they were targeted and “if possible, before the criminals succeed in causing damage.”
The arrests follow a year-long international investigation by the UK, US, Belgium, Malta and Canada.
Investigators found that after gaining access to victims’ phone numbers, criminals could take control of apps or accounts by requesting password reset codes sent via SMS.
They would then steal money, cryptocurrencies, and personal information, including contacts synced online.
“They also hijacked social media accounts to post content and send messages posing as the victim,” Europol said.
The eight suspects held in the UK were all between the ages of 18 and 26, the NCA said in a declaration.
“This network targeted a large number of victims in the United States and regularly attacked those they believed would be lucrative targets,” said Paul Creffield, chief of operations for the NCA’s National Cybercrime Unit.
“In this case, those arrested face prosecution for Computer Misuse Act offenses, as well as fraud and money laundering, and extradition to the United States for prosecution. “
“In addition to causing a lot of distress and disruption, we know that they have stolen significant amounts from their victims, either from their bank accounts or from their Bitcoin wallets. “
Europol has warned that ‘sim swapping’ is a growing threat from fraudsters and that ‘it is not just celebrities who are under attack’.
The agency advised citizens to update the software on their devices, limit the amount of data shared online, and avoid suspicious emails or phone calls asking for personal information.
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