Fake Base Station for Sending Phishing Texts Smashed by Thai Police

[Champagne]

Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau arrested two Chinese nationals on Thursday for allegedly sending phishing text messages. Their way of operating is very interesting, at least to me. I thought I might share this with you since it is rather unusual and definitely something that is frequently used by governments in particular.

The Bureau, working with Thai telecommunication service provider Advanced Info Service (AIS) to combat the scam, launched an arrest operation against the suspects at a Bangkok condominium and seized the equipment they used in their car to send scam text messages.

According to information provided by AIS, the suspects drove their car around shopping malls and communities in Bangkok to send messages to mobile devices around the area, disguised as official AIC messages.

The content of the texts contained a phishing link. Users who clicked on the link would have malware installed on their devices and have their personal information stolen.

After receiving a report from AIS, police and the operator's engineers used tracking equipment to locate the vehicle driven by the suspect. Police then followed the vehicle to the suspects' apartment and arrested them.

Inside the vehicle, police found a “fake base station” device used to send the messages, as well as cell phones, bank passbooks, ATM cards, and SIM cards in the apartment.

Waroonthep Watcharaporn, head of AIS's business relations, urged cell phone users not to click on suspicious links or disclose their personal information. Users who suspect they have been scammed can report the incident to AIS and the company will hand over the information to the relevant investigative authorities.

From: https://www.brokersview.com/news/fa...-phishing-texts-smashed-by-thai-police-256505

Of course, this is highly illegal, and I would not recommend anyone to try that. However, it is very interesting to read.

 

[Champagne]

For anyone wondering how this was done:

They were using a fake base station. A fake base station is a rogue or simulated cell tower that tricks nearby phones into connecting to it instead of a legitimate tower. It’s a type of IMSI catcher. Once a phone connects, it can:

• Capture IMSI numbers (which can link you to your identity).
• Intercept calls/texts or track your location.
• Downgrade network security (e.g., from 4G to 2G) to make interception easier.

 

[aol]

Wow, that's sketchy! Is anyone able to perform something?

 

[Champagne]

Wow, that's sketchy! Is anyone able to perform something?

Law Enforcement will indeed have no problem performing such an attack, as well as hobbyists who have an interest in this type of field. However, the skill needed for something like this is quite high, and you need to have technical knowledge of cellular protocols (GSM, LTE, etc.).

For beginners, it can work with a preconfigured SDR kit or via YouTube tutorials. But, while they may get the basic setup working, they cannot do much with it without having deep networking knowledge. Injecting data/fake SMS is very advanced and will most likely not be performed by someone who has just learned the basics of it.