A Pakistani national living in Australia’s New South Wales state has been charged with unlawfully accessing more than 100 Australians’ private financial information. There have been allegations that hundreds of premium cellular subscriptions were fraudulently secured using the stolen data.
Following an investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in coordination with the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3), the individual was taken into custody on Wednesday, November 27.
Telecommunications firms that helped in the operation were TPG Telecom and Optus. After executing a search warrant at his home in Auburn, a suburb of western Sydney, investigators found 21 electronic devices, including computers and cell phones, more than 500 SIM cards, and more than $1 million in cash.
The operation also involved the seizure of bank papers and credit cards. According to authorities, the suspect pretended to be a representative of a telecom company in order to defraud victims.
According to reports, victims received offers to update their mobile devices along with a one-time PIN for verification. The suspect is said to have intercepted this information in order to conduct fraudulent transactions.
Through the inquiry, the suspect was linked to more than 100 victims, demonstrating the extent of cybercrime in Australia.The defendant was set to appear before the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court to provide additional details about the case.
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The scam involved several sophisticated methods:
- Impersonation:
The scammer posed as a representative from a telecommunications service provider, contacting victims with offers to upgrade their mobile devices.
- Phishing:
Victims were sent a one-time PIN for verification, which the scammer intercepted.
Fraudulent Transactions: Using the intercepted PIN, the scammer purchased high-end mobile devices on the victims’ accounts.
- Resale:
The fraudulently obtained devices were then sent to an alternate address and eventually shipped offshore for resale.
This complex approach emphasises how important it is to exercise caution while responding to unsolicited calls or messages, particularly those that ask for verification codes or personal information.