Authorities are on guard against a form of cybertheft prevalent in the country. It’s a place where sophisticated cybercriminal networks empty bank accounts, request loans on behalf of their victims, and make million-dollar purchases in just a few hours.
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Mechanism, This attack, which has affected many countries and is increasing in Colombia, involves impersonating the victim through a procedure known as changing mobile phone number portability.
A simple procedure turned into a nightmare For Hugo Acero, former Minister of Security of Bogotá, and a businessman from the same industry.
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EL TIEMPO documented two more cases: A prominent lawyer and a former intelligence officer of the National Army.
In the case of Hugo Acero He managed to trace the cyber thief’s network, it all started when he was going to Ecuador to give a conference.
He and other victims have one thing in common: they were disconnected from their mobile phones because they were traveling. Disconnecting the mobile phone during activities lasting two or more hours (such as cinema, theater) or for rest purposes.
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Another element that unites them is Managing various banking products including accounts, CDT and other services with attractive balances. This results in the cyber thief network providing intelligence to its victims and accessing confidential information.
“After a meticulous and comprehensive study of the victim, cybercriminals create scenarios to use citizens’ personal data to associate them with fraud and crimes.their behavior, preferences and networks,” said a researcher at the National Police Cyber Centre.
In the case of the former intelligence and Acero officer, The first warning was that the cell phone signal was lost.
The former security secretary realized that his mobile phone was literally dead. Acero managed to contact his operator before boarding the plane, who informed him that he had sent him a message asking them to forward the number (change of mobile number portability) to Won.
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Minutes before takeoff, He managed to block all banking products, but the businessman and former intelligence officer did not have the same luck.
“With the change in cellular portability, The person posing as me had access to all the information on my mobile phone and was able to transfer and withdraw more than 50 million pesos.“The former member of the army explained.
He added: “He also kept a list of all my contacts, I told whom, by impersonating me, that my card had run out due to an emergency and had them deposit money.”.
They managed to extract 25 million pesos from the businessman’s situation.
“Two lines in my name, one personal and the other corporate, were seized. By accessing financial system data with the information they obtained from one of them, they made a purchase of 25 million pesos in total. The transactions started at two or three in the morning in a store in Barranquilla,” the businessman assured EL TIEMPO, who requested anonymity..
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As noted, I was only able to find one of the two hijacked phone numbers.
And although Acero managed to regain the portability of his mobile phone, he lost valuable information, including a job offer from abroad.
Acero cut short his trip and returned to the country to find out what had happened, and Claro emailed him to notify him that he had requested a change of operator. The transfer where the impersonation began was recorded at 12:01 midnight.
When he went to Won, they told him they had received another email asking him to transfer the line to Tigo and suggested he go there. What is surprising is that in these cases the line is in the name of a third party, but the identity of the victim is included.
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“It’s a matter of a day and a half, enough time for criminals to drain accounts, extort connections to loan applications, and obtain loans in your name. As happened to a friend of his who was in the process of presenting the resources stolen from him to the bank and apologizing to friends who were able to transfer money to the thieves.“, Acero told EL TIEMPO.
This type of theft or compromise of number portability leaves users vulnerable because all the information they obtain from their mobile phones remains in the hands of criminals.
The number of cases is increasing so much that the type of robbery now has a name.
This is Sim Swap, which also envisages fraudulent duplication of SIM cards in some cases.
Two of the victims of this type of robbery decided to press charges for personal fraud The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is already conducting an investigation.
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And what they ask is In these cases, where controls are lacking to determine whether the person requesting action from an operator is responsible, it is determined who is responsible. He is who he says he is on his cell phone or in front of the bank.
YesAccording to reports from the National Police Cyber CenterThere have been more than 50,000 complaints about computer crime so far this year.
But experts say this In many cases, this figure can double because people do not report it.
And they add this One of the most common types of theft is emails or advance messages that supposedly contain bank information. Thus, they can access the victims’ passwords and steal their cousins on dates such as December.
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It is clear to investigators that criminal gangs have accessed important data with the possible complicity of employees. telecommunication companies
Here are a few practical tips to avoid becoming the next victim:
one. Send letters to your mobile phone carrier and bank prohibiting any transactions not made in person.
2. Request the portability of your mobile phone number to be restored to prevent it from continuing to be spoofed.
(See all articles of EL TIEMPO Investigation Unit here).
4. Always check your mobile phone to detect unexplained changes in the signal.
5. After consulting them, delete the messages in which they report any data regarding your deposits, balance and products.
If you are already a victim of this type of fraud, immediately notify your bank, block your accounts and file a complaint with the National Police or the Attorney General’s Office.
RESEARCH UNIT
u.investigativa@eltiempo.com
@UinvestigativaET
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Source: Exame
