The National Crime Agency reports arrests as part of the closing of Russian Coms, a platform that allowed criminals to hide their identity by appearing to call from pre-selected numbers, most commonly of financial institutions, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies. An estimated 170,000 people across the UK are believed to be victims.
Users could better gain the trust of victims before stealing money and personal details. It was available as a handset and, latterly, as a web app, marketed through Snapchat, Instagram and Telegram. According to adverts shared across social media, the service included “unlimited minutes”, “hold music”, “encrypted phone calls”, “instant handset wipe”, international calls, voice changing services, and 24/7 support.
Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre within the NCA, said: “Criminals are increasingly using technology to carry out fraud and other crimes on an industrial scale, causing very real harm to victims in the UK and across the world. The NCA and our partners here in the UK and overseas are going after both the criminals and the technology they exploit.
“Whilst this use of technology, which can be called ‘crime as a service’, promises anonymity, unbeknown to the criminal users, the services also store the users’ data, so we can identify who they are and how they operate. Users of Russian Coms, and all those tempted to try out similar services, should know that these services cannot be trusted.”
An example of a typical scam involved offenders spoofing the number of a bank to gain the trust of a victim, before convincing them that their account had been subject to fraudulent activity. They would then be persuaded to transfer their money to another account in order to safeguard their savings.
The fraudsters were able to access victims’ money in a number of ways. They impersonated reputable companies and stole funds for goods which were never delivered; gained full access to bank accounts; and arranged for the collection of physical debit and credit cards from victims on the pretence that they needed replacing.
Victims of all ages suffered losses, and calls were made to 107 countries. The handset could only be used to make spoofed calls. It was loaded with a number of fake applications that had no functionality, to make it look like an everyday smartphone if seized by law enforcement. This was in addition to several VPN apps, allowing the user to hide their IP address, and a burn app that instantly wiped the phone after being activated. A six-month contract cost between £1,200 and £1,400, depending on collection and delivery.
Comment
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at the cyber firm ESET, said: “Criminals are increasingly leveraging advanced technology to carry out fraud and other illicit activities on an industrial scale causing huge financial havoc for victims. Even when fraud and cybercrime acts for around 40 per cent of all crime in the UK, this trend highlights an increasing challenge for law enforcement to overcome.
“Call spoofing technology offers perpetrators a promise of anonymity and easy access to sophisticated tools and methods for committing crimes making it increasingly easy for them. However, what many of these criminal users are unaware of is that these services often maintain detailed records of their activities and personal data which can be collated by impressive police action.
“But until fraud is fully taken control of in the UK, the onus remains on users to be wary of all calls, even when the number suggests a level of confirmation. People need to be mindful that such technology remains in existence and offer criminals simple opportunities to change the number they are calling from to any number they wish.”
