Police warn of SMS scams as ‘blaster' is used to send thousands of texts
A portable phone mast that blitzes every nearby mobile phone with credible-looking scam text messages is the latest weapon being used by fraudsters.
The 'SMS blaster' lets criminals send out texts without the need for them to have obtained the victims' numbers and without being stopped by the phone networks' anti-spam measures.
Mobiles are tricked into connecting with the blaster on a fake 2G network, instead of with a legitimate phone tower.
This week in the UK, a man was jailed for more than a year for using a blaster in the boot of his car to send out fraudulent messages.
Ruichen Xiong, a student from China, drove around London using the tool between 22 and 27 March 2025, sending messages to tens of thousands of potential victims.
A text received on a police officer's phone as they went to arrest him claimed to be from HM Revenue and Customs and asked for details to process a refund.
SMS blasters are a relatively new technology for scammers – police in the UK only encountered them for the first time last year when they made arrests in Manchester and London.
In New Zealand, the first arrest for using one was made last summer, and there have been cases in other countries, including Thailand.
When used in busy built-up areas, they allow criminals to easily send out 'smishing' messages to hundreds of people at a time, without being blocked by mobile phone providers.
The messages typically have a link and ask people to follow it and hand over personal details. These are then harvested by the fraudsters and used to make payments or for other scams.
The SMS blaster allows scammers to control every part of the message, so they can make it look like it has come from a genuine organisation.
Xiong drove around the Greater London area in a black Honda CR-V with the blaster in the boot.
He was arrested by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a police unit sponsored by the banking industry and focusing on financial fraud.
Det Ch Insp Paul Curtisat the DCPCU said: 'Criminals are sophisticated and will continuously make attempts to bypass fraud prevention measures designed to protect consumers.
'They'll make every attempt to steal personal and financial information, so it's important that customers are alert to potential threats of fraud, particularly text messages.'
Google advises Android phone users to disable 2G on their device to avoid the attacks; iPhone users can filter messages from unknown contacts.
In the US and UK, mobile users can forward suspicious messages to 7726 to be investigated.
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