Latest news with #NickSharp
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
UK hails 'groundbreaking collaboration' with CBI to bust Noida fraud call centre
By Aditi Khanna The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) on Friday revealed details of a "groundbreaking collaboration" with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alongside American teams to bust a fraud call centre scam operating from Noida and involving several victims in Britain. The NCA said the international investigation commenced early last year after its International Liaison Officers in the US received information from tech giant Microsoft, which was then compared with City of London Police's Action Fraud Reports. The NCA officers and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Attache in Delhi shared their intelligence with the CBI, leading to "urgent action" and the arrest of two individuals. "The activity followed 18 months of groundbreaking collaboration between the CBI, NCA, the FBI and Microsoft - who worked together to identify the organised crime group, analyse data and target complex IT infrastructure used by fraudsters," the NCA said in a statement. "Victims in the UK alone are believed to have lost over GBP 390,000... More than 100 UK victims had been contacted by a group offering to fix their computers for a fee, following a screen pop up that suggested their device was infected or had been hacked. In reality, the fraudsters were posing as employees of Microsoft, offering software solutions to an attack that had never taken place," it stated. After the NCA identified that the same call centre was targeting US citizens, a partnership was agreed to share intelligence and information. It emerged that the criminals behind the scam used a wide range of tactics to try and disguise their identity - spoofed phone numbers or Voice Over Internet Protocol to route calls through multiple servers in several countries. "This case demonstrates the success we can have when we harness expertise from across the public and private sectors, and work hand in hand with partners abroad to target fraudsters, wherever they are," said Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC). "It is an outstanding example of the value of the operational arrangement reached between the UK and the US last year specifically to tackle call centre fraud ," he said. The NCA, FBI and Microsoft went on to identify a number of key suspects based in India and compiled a file of evidence that included testimonies from victims, supported by the City of London Police. Earlier this year during an NCA visit to India, the CBI was briefed as part of efforts to enhance ongoing work to tackle the global threat from fraud. The NCA reiterated it will continue to support the CBI to ensure justice for UK victims. "Public-private partnerships are crucial to tackling tech support fraud as law enforcement and tech companies see different aspects of the cybercrime ecosystem. By joining forces and sharing our insights, we're able to more effectively dismantle fraudulent networks and protect vulnerable populations," said Steven Masada, Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit. Tor Garnett, Commander for Cyber and Economic Crime at the City of London Police, said the force was committed to continuing joint efforts to ensure fraud criminals are brought to justice. "As the national lead force for fraud, we know that combating this type of crime requires a truly collaborative approach. This operation demonstrates the strength of our partnerships - not just across UK law enforcement, but internationally and with private sector organisations," said Garnett. UK Fraud Minister Lord David Hanson said: "As we've seen in this case, tackling fraud needs global action, and that's why international cooperation such as the new UNODC-INTERPOL Global Fraud Summit, is an important way to share knowledge and catch these criminals." "I would like to express my gratitude to US and Indian partners for their collaboration in this operation," he added. PTI
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UK hails 'groundbreaking collaboration' with CBI to bust Noida fraud call centre
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) on Friday revealed details of a "groundbreaking collaboration" with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alongside American teams to bust a fraud call centre scam operating from Noida and involving several victims in NCA said the international investigation commenced early last year after its International Liaison Officers in the US received information from tech giant Microsoft, which was then compared with City of London Police's Action Fraud NCA officers and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Attache in Delhi shared their intelligence with the CBI, leading to "urgent action" and the arrest of two individuals."The activity followed 18 months of groundbreaking collaboration between the CBI, NCA, the FBI and Microsoft - who worked together to identify the organised crime group, analyse data and target complex IT infrastructure used by fraudsters," the NCA said in a statement."Victims in the UK alone are believed to have lost over GBP 390,000... More than 100 UK victims had been contacted by a group offering to fix their computers for a fee, following a screen pop up that suggested their device was infected or had been hacked. In reality, the fraudsters were posing as employees of Microsoft, offering software solutions to an attack that had never taken place," it the NCA identified that the same call centre was targeting US citizens, a partnership was agreed to share intelligence and emerged that the criminals behind the scam used a wide range of tactics to try and disguise their identity - spoofed phone numbers or Voice Over Internet Protocol to route calls through multiple servers in several countries."This case demonstrates the success we can have when we harness expertise from across the public and private sectors, and work hand in hand with partners abroad to target fraudsters, wherever they are," said Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC)."It is an outstanding example of the value of the operational arrangement reached between the UK and the US last year specifically to tackle call centre fraud," he NCA, FBI and Microsoft went on to identify a number of key suspects based in India and compiled a file of evidence that included testimonies from victims, supported by the City of London this year during an NCA visit to India, the CBI was briefed as part of efforts to enhance ongoing work to tackle the global threat from fraud. The NCA reiterated it will continue to support the CBI to ensure justice for UK victims."Public-private partnerships are crucial to tackling tech support fraud as law enforcement and tech companies see different aspects of the cybercrime ecosystem. By joining forces and sharing our insights, we're able to more effectively dismantle fraudulent networks and protect vulnerable populations," said Steven Masada, Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Garnett, Commander for Cyber and Economic Crime at the City of London Police, said the force was committed to continuing joint efforts to ensure fraud criminals are brought to justice."As the national lead force for fraud, we know that combating this type of crime requires a truly collaborative approach. This operation demonstrates the strength of our partnerships - not just across UK law enforcement, but internationally and with private sector organisations," said Fraud Minister Lord David Hanson said: "As we've seen in this case, tackling fraud needs global action, and that's why international cooperation such as the new UNODC-INTERPOL Global Fraud Summit, is an important way to share knowledge and catch these criminals.""I would like to express my gratitude to US and Indian partners for their collaboration in this operation," he added. PTI
The Star
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
UK to ban 'sim farms' used by scammers to send mass fraud messages
The government said the devices are used by criminals to hold multiple SIM cards, which as well as allowing scammers to send out thousands of messages to people at the same time, can also be used to create verified accounts on social media and other platforms in large volumes. — Designed by freepik LONDON: SIM farm devices capable of holding multiple SIM cards enabling scammers to send thousands of scam text messages at once are to be banned under UK government plans to crack down on fraud. The ban, the first of its kind in Europe, will make the possession or supply of the devices without good reason illegal, with unlimited fines in England and Wales and a £5,000 (RM29,098 or US$6,600) fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The government said the devices are used by criminals to hold multiple SIM cards, which as well as allowing scammers to send out thousands of messages to people at the same time, can also be used to create verified accounts on social media and other platforms in large volumes. The UK Home Office said recent data showed fraud had increased last year by 19%, and now accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales. UK Fraud Minister David Hanson said: "Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals. "Two-thirds of British adults say they've received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on SIM farms is so vital to protecting the public. "This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners with the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime. "This Government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change." Nick Sharp, deputy director for fraud at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said: "Fraud is the crime we are all most likely to experience, and one that causes victims significant emotional and financial harm. "We know that fraud at scale is being facilitated by SIM farms, which give criminals a means and an opportunity to contact victims at scale with relative ease. "The ban announced today is very welcome. It will give us a vital tool to step up our fight against fraudsters, target the services they rely on, and better protect the public." The government said the new ban will come into effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent. Scam text messages have become an increasingly common problem in recent years, with mobile operators regularly introducing new technology to help spot and block them before they reach the public. Rachel Andrews, head of corporate security at Vodafone UK, said the ban on SIM farms was an "important step" in preventing fraud. "Vodafone UK is committed to protecting all our customers from fraud, including activity enabled by SIM farms," she said. "So far this year we have blocked over 38.5 million suspected scam messages, and in 2024 that figure reached over 73.5 million for the year. "As an industry, UK telecoms operators have blocked more than one billion suspected scam messages since 2023. "However, we cannot fully tackle fraud in isolation; collaboration between industry and government is crucial. "This is a really important step taken by the Home Office and we fully support the inclusion of SIM farms in the upcoming legislation. "We look forward to working together on this issue." Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "We welcome this move but let's not pretend Labour led the charge. This builds directly on the work the Conservatives did last year to crack down on SIM farms through the Criminal Justice Bill. "These devices are the weapon of choice for fraudsters. We acted to close that loophole, and it's right that Labour are finally scrambling to catch up. "Enforcement is now key, as criminals will always look for new ways to abuse the system. Ministers must ensure this legislation is watertight, or it risks being a ban in name only." – dpa
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Text scam farms to be banned
Sim farms – which can send out multiple scam texts – are to be banned in a government crackdown. The ban, the first of its kind in Europe, will make the possession or supply of the devices without good reason illegal, with unlimited fines in England and Wales and a £5,000 fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sim farms are devices that can be loaded with hundreds of sim cards to send out thousands of scam texts simultaneously. The Home Office claims they helped fuel a 19 per cent increase in scams last year. Fraud now accounts for more than 40 per cent of all reported crime in England and Wales. Fraud has also been put on a par with serious and organised crime as a national threat, requiring police forces to devote more resources to investigations. In 2021, just 1,753 officers and staff were focused on economic crimes – 0.8 per cent of the total police workforce, even though fraud accounts for 41 per cent of all crime. Lord Hanson, fraud minister, said: 'Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals. 'Two-thirds of British adults say they've received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on sim farms is so vital to protecting the public. 'This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners with the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime. 'This Government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change.' Nick Sharp, deputy director for fraud at the National Crime Agency, said: 'Fraud is the crime we are all most likely to experience, and one that causes victims significant emotional and financial harm. 'We know that fraud at scale is being facilitated by sim farms, which give criminals a means and an opportunity to contact victims at scale with relative ease. 'The ban announced today is very welcome. It will give us a vital tool to step up our fight against fraudsters, target the services they rely on, and better protect the public.' The Government said the new ban will come into effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent. Scam text messages have become an increasingly common problem in recent years, with mobile operators regularly introducing new technology to help spot and block them before they reach the public. Rachel Andrews, head of corporate security at Vodafone UK, said the ban on sim farms was an 'important step' in preventing fraud. 'Vodafone UK is committed to protecting all our customers from fraud, including activity enabled by sim farms,' she said. 'So far this year we have blocked over 38.5 million suspected scam messages, and in 2024 that figure reached over 73.5 million for the year. As an industry, UK telecoms operators have blocked more than one billion suspected scam messages since 2023. 'However, we cannot fully tackle fraud in isolation; collaboration between industry and the Government is crucial. This is a really important step taken by the Home Office and we fully support the inclusion of sim farms in the upcoming legislation. 'We look forward to working together on this issue.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Text scam farms to be banned
Sim farms – which can send out multiple scam texts – are to be banned in a government crackdown. The ban, the first of its kind in Europe, will make the possession or supply of the devices without good reason illegal, with unlimited fines in England and Wales and a £5,000 fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sim farms are devices that can be loaded with hundreds of sim cards to send out thousands of scam texts simultaneously. The Home Office claims they helped fuel a 19 per cent increase in scams last year. Fraud now accounts for more than 40 per cent of all reported crime in England and Wales. Fraud has also been put on a par with serious and organised crime as a national threat, requiring police forces to devote more resources to investigations. In 2021, just 1,753 officers and staff were focused on economic crimes – 0.8 per cent of the total police workforce, even though fraud accounts for 41 per cent of all crime. 'Fraud devastates lives' Lord Hanson, fraud minister, said: ' Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals. 'Two-thirds of British adults say they've received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on sim farms is so vital to protecting the public. 'This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners with the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime. 'This Government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change.' Nick Sharp, deputy director for fraud at the National Crime Agency, said: 'Fraud is the crime we are all most likely to experience, and one that causes victims significant emotional and financial harm. 'We know that fraud at scale is being facilitated by sim farms, which give criminals a means and an opportunity to contact victims at scale with relative ease. 'The ban announced today is very welcome. It will give us a vital tool to step up our fight against fraudsters, target the services they rely on, and better protect the public.' 'Important step' The Government said the new ban will come into effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent. Scam text messages have become an increasingly common problem in recent years, with mobile operators regularly introducing new technology to help spot and block them before they reach the public. Rachel Andrews, head of corporate security at Vodafone UK, said the ban on sim farms was an 'important step' in preventing fraud. 'Vodafone UK is committed to protecting all our customers from fraud, including activity enabled by sim farms,' she said. 'So far this year we have blocked over 38.5 million suspected scam messages, and in 2024 that figure reached over 73.5 million for the year. As an industry, UK telecoms operators have blocked more than one billion suspected scam messages since 2023. 'However, we cannot fully tackle fraud in isolation; collaboration between industry and the Government is crucial. This is a really important step taken by the Home Office and we fully support the inclusion of sim farms in the upcoming legislation. 'We look forward to working together on this issue.'
