"SMS blasters work by spoofing cell towers and broadcasting a stronger signal than other towers in range in order to trick nearby cell phones and tablets into connecting with the blaster. Once connected to nearby devices, an SMS blaster can send out thousands of text messages, which may contain links to phishing sites that impersonate login pages of legitimate businesses."
"The scheme aimed to steal people's usernames and passwords, including banking credentials, said Lindsay Riddell, a Detective Sergeant with the Toronto Police, in a press conference. The police said such devices disrupt nearby cellular communications and interfere with 911 emergency services."
"Authorities said the SMS blaster was 'uniquely built,' and was operated from the back of a vehicle, allowing the device to be used in multiple locations across Toronto. Users can block attempts by SMS blasters by switching off their phones' 2G cellular connectivity."
Toronto Police arrested three men and filed 44 charges for operating an SMS blaster, marking the first known instance of this crime in Canada. The scheme, active since November 2025, targeted tens of thousands of devices with phishing text messages designed to steal usernames, passwords, and banking credentials. SMS blasters work by spoofing cell towers and broadcasting stronger signals to trick nearby phones into connecting, then sending malicious messages with links to fraudulent login pages. The device exploited vulnerabilities in older 2G networks and was uniquely built to operate from a vehicle, enabling use across multiple Toronto locations. Such devices disrupt cellular communications and interfere with 911 emergency services. Users can protect themselves by disabling 2G connectivity or enabling Lockdown Mode on Apple devices.
Read at TechCrunch
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