How a new ‘SMS blaster’ fraud can target thousands with spam texts in seconds

There wasn’t anything too unusual about the man with the green suitcase.

It was rush hour, and Kong Ji Chen looked like any other passenger travelling on their way home through Victoria Station.

Except he didn’t seem interested in getting on any of the trains.

His real purpose on that northbound platform was only revealed when another commuter, who was suspicious at his refusal to budge, called the police.

That passenger, along with hundreds of others who passed through in the 20 minutes Chen was sitting there, had received a spam text message.

It turned out Chen’s luggage was actually an ‘SMS blaster’ – a makeshift device that acts as a portable phone mast.

It tricks mobiles within a certain radius into connecting with its signal and uses that to bombard them with fraudulent messages – all in a matter of seconds.

Even the phones in the pockets of officers who approached Chen chimed with pings as they each received one.

Police in the UK have only encountered the relatively new technology in the past year and a half.

The fraud is so novel that Chen’s own barrister struggled to explain what exactly it involved.

He was one of two Chinese nationals jailed at Inner London Crown Court for fraud offences relating to the devices this week.

Chen, 31, was arrested on July 1.

Claire Langevad, prosecuting his case, told the court: ‘A man named James Martin was exiting the Underground station at Kings Cross having travelled from St James’ Park and changed at Victoria station when he noticed he had received a text message saying he had received a parcel from Parcel Mail, inviting him to click on a link to update his address details.

‘He later provided a copy of that message to the police.

‘British Transport Police officers were contacted and identified this defendant, who had been sitting on the northbound platform of Victoria station for 20 minutes without travelling.’

A search of the ‘large green suitcase revealed the ‘SMS Blaster device’, she told the court, adding that his black iPhone was found to contain two apps commonly used to control them.

‘Officers who attended the scene of the arrest also later discovered they also received text messages like the one received by Mr Martin,’ Ms Langevad said.

‘CCTV also shows [Chen], the previous day, at Elephant and Castle station in possession of the same green suitcase.’

In addition to blasting out SMS messages, the court heard the device also harvested the IMEI and IMSI numbers of phones it latched on to.

Chen entered Ireland illegally using a false Hong Kong passport and claimed asylum there before entering the UK unlawfully.

David Martin-Sperry, defending, told the court Chen got involved with the operation to make a quick buck.

‘He tells me that he was aware that it involved something illegal, but he didn’t understand what it was that he was doing – how it worked and so on,’ the barrister said.

‘He may be in very good company, because I am not sure I understand what was going on and how the fraud was in fact perpetrated.’

Judge Michael Evans KC handed him a 24-week jail sentence, Chen having earlier pleaded guilty to possessing an article for use in fraud.

He said: ‘This is a very serious offence. It is a sophisticated operation – a highly sophisticated operation.

‘It has an impact on literally a countless number of potential victims.’

Investigating officer DC Adrienne Curzon said: ‘Chen targeted potentially thousands of commuters, attempting to harvest their data.

‘Thanks to the vigilance of one member of the public, our officers were able to act and prevent more people from being targeted and becoming victims of Chen’s fraudulent endeavour.

‘We rely on members of the public to report anything they see that they feel might be suspicious. If you see something that doesn’t look right, text us on 61016 and we’ll investigate.’

In the second case, the court heard that Shichao Wang, 33, was able to remotely control an SMS Blaster while an accomplice, Hua Yong Xu, drove around busy areas of central London with it concealed inside his Audi on May 22.

Patricia Deighan, prosecuting, said: ‘The vehicle contained a large antenna disguised as a headrest, a large battery pack, a mobile router, and a laptop that contained the software [operating it].

‘In fact, as police approached the vehicle all the officers received one of these messages on their phone.’

Initially, it was just Xu arrested as he was the only person in the car. But messages on his phone revealed Wang had been controlling the blaster remotely and telling him where to go looking for potential victims.

Ms Deighan said: ‘There were messages showing the defendant instructing Mr Xu to drive to various places in London – typically areas with high population densities.’

The court heard Wang’s application for asylum was refused and he has lodged an appeal against that decision.

Despite having no access to benefits, he had thousands in the bank.

Jailing him for a year for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, Judge Lynn Griffin told Wang: ‘This was an enterprise set up to trick members of the public into entering bank details if they followed a link I the message that was sent to them using the equipment that Mr Xu was driving around the capital operating.

‘That equipment is sometimes referred to as an ‘SMS Blaster’, which bulk sends fraudulent SMS messages to unsuspecting members of the public.

‘Because of the way the equipment operated, the message that was received by those members of the public would have an extra layer of verisimilitude, leaving those members of the public more likely to be fooled into pressing the link.’

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