Three Men Behind SMS Blaster Scam That Allegedly Hijacked Thousands of Phones Arrested

Canadian police have arrested three men tied to what authorities are calling a first-of-its-kind fraudulent text scam in the country, one they warn “highlights an emerging threat to both public safety and financial security.” The scheme involved a device the Toronto Police Service identified as an SMS blaster. According to police, this device mimics legitimate cell towers, tricking nearby mobile phones into connecting automatically with it. Once connected, the SMS blaster can send out fraudulent texts that appear to come from trusted institutions like banks or service providers. Those messages often include links to websites designed to fool victims into handing over personal information including financial credentials and passwords. Schemes like this aren’t entirely new. Similar devices have been used in other countries in recent years, including the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Greece. But Toronto police say this is the first known case involving the technology in Canada. “What makes this particularly concerning is the scale and impact,” Deputy Chief Rob Johnson said at a press conference on April 23. “This wasn’t targeting a single individual or business. It had the abil