Commsrisk

Insider commentary on the risks faced by comms providers and their customers since 2006.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

First SMS Blaster Found in Hungary; Chinese Driver Arrested - https://t.co/jZLe32S14Q

Fraudulent messages impersonated the police and told recipients to click through to a bogus website to resolve a traffic violation. Nine victims collectively lost HUF4,802,333 (USD14,640).

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Tokyo Police Arrest Chinese National Using SMS Blaster to Scam Tourists - https://t.co/aHxHSt0QhU

Police arrested a Chinese national operating an SMS blaster in Tokyo. The device reportedly disrupted service for thousands of phones and sent smishing messages to tourists.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Scammers Abandon Phone Calls Into Estonia After Telcos Tighten Number Checks - https://t.co/oSVt27JXz4

A growing number of blocked calls is often presented as evidence of successful anti-fraud measures. Estonia demonstrates why a fewer blocked calls may be a better measure.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

20 Years of Commsrisk - https://t.co/cFqN6uiQT1

The website enters its third decade under the new leadership required to harness AI.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Norwegian Telco Dumps Major US Carrier over Supply of Phone Numbers to Scammers - https://t.co/ebMLZeg5HQ

Unifon has terminated its traffic contract with Bandwidth following investigations into scam calls by journalists working for the Norwegian state broadcaster.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

$585,000 Fine for Multinational Telco That Did Not Prevent Scam Abuse of 366,000 Numbers - https://t.co/5plaVptrkw

The regulator's detailed findings have not been published to protect the integrity of other investigations into the supply of phone numbers to scammers.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Criminals Impersonate US Traceback Group to Hack Telcos Worldwide - https://t.co/RT0UBtr8vJ

Do not click the link if you receive an email demanding traceback information. Call the US traceback consortium and ask if the message is genuine.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Guns, Drugs, and SMS Blasters: Four Arrested in Manila - https://t.co/ps0AZmDe21

The arrests involved two Filipinos and two Chinese nationals. One suspect said she earned $32 for ten-hour days taking the device around shopping malls, following instructions to seek out crowds.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

American Prisoners Run Phone Scams While Locked Up - https://t.co/gb43Rw25if

They use their inside knowledge of the US justice system to send fake arrest warrants and demands for payment in bitcoin.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

New Zealand’s Scam Text Reports Rose 1,240% After One-Click Reporting - https://t.co/1tEWo2Sffe

The "Report Junk" button sends suspicious texts straight to New Zealand's 7726 reporting service. The same feature is being extended to Android users.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

@TimoVainionpaa Competition in the comms sector is a bit like competition between airlines - not all routes are equally open to competition.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Mobileum Sued by Former CFO Over $20mn Fraud Defence Collateral - https://t.co/3ICZH2xvFt

The legal fight over allegations that Moblieum fraudulently boosted its valuation by booking false revenues escalates with a new intervention by former Mobileum CFO Andrew Warner.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Telcos Owned by Ericsson and Bandwidth Investigated for KYC Scammer Failings - https://t.co/FiL89wuqVl

Ofcom has 'concerns' about the potential misuse of UK phone numbers allocated to Voxbone SA, a subsidiary of Bandwidth, and Vonage Business Limited, a subsidiary of Ericsson.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

SHAKEN Not STIR: We Have the Quickest Way to Trace International Calls - https://t.co/wTLbOyifbq

The technology exists and we have demonstrated that it works, so let's start using it.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

First SMS Blaster Scammer Arrested in Singapore Was Targeting WhatsApp Users - https://t.co/Lcqx8P5eIf

Chinese gangsters used SMS blaster smishing to take control of Singaporean WhatsApp accounts as a stepping stone to authorized push payment fraud.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Meg from HSBC wants you to know that scammers may send what appears to be a personalized message from your bank but they are actually using AI bots to steal your cricket ground.

[HSBC UK @HSBC_UK]

@ajarrodkimber Hi Jarrod, I'm sorry to hear you have lost your cricket ground. So we can investigate this further can you please DM us by clicking the 'Send a private message'. Thank you. -Meg https://t.co/OCvB5tjRBZ

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

How I Contributed to European Union Research on Spoofing and Traceback - https://t.co/MR4IZaeHgO

I am proud that a new report funded by the EU demonstrates the value of my work by using empirical data to make the case for effective, low-cost measures to tackle telecoms fraud.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Malaysian Police Arrest SMS Blaster Driver Targeting Singapore Border Traffic - https://t.co/VoQ3mB9HCE

Malaysian authorities arrested a 65-year-old man who allegedly used a car-mounted SMS blaster to target peak-hour commuters travelling between Johor Bahru and Singapore.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

European Union Spoofing and Traceback Survey Extended to 14 August - https://t.co/E9S99KtxNU

Commsrisk has extended the deadline for contributions to its European Union research into spoofing prevention and traceback until 14 August 2026.

[Commsrisk @Commsrisk]

Hong Kong SMS Blaster Broadcasts WhatsApp Account Hijacking Scam - https://t.co/tilnsPAr6G

Police linked more than 6,000 smishing messages to 16 WhatsApp account hijacking frauds that caused losses exceeding HKD300,000.