10 people arrested, more than 100 charges laid in SIM swap scam: Toronto police

Toronto constabulary opportunity they person arrested 10 group and laid much than 100 charges successful a wide-reaching SIM switch scam.

Investigators opportunity much than 1,500 cellular accounts passim Canada were compromised, resulting successful much than $1 cardinal successful mixed losses to victims, telecom companies and financial institutions.

Det. David Coffey from nan Toronto police Financial Crimes Unit says nan SIM switch scam targets a weakness successful two-factor authentication to return complete an unsuspecting victim’s cellphone account, either by impersonating nan customer astatine a cellphone shop aliases different tricking a mobile bearer into switching nan victim’s telephone number to different SIM card.

Once criminals summation entree to an account, they tin person emails and texts astir password betterment aliases changes and usage that to discuss nan victim’s slope accounts aliases societal media profiles.

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Coffey says constabulary seized much than 400 pieces of clone recognition aft hunt warrants were executed arsenic portion of nan investigation dubbed “Project Disrupt,” which began successful June 2023.

Police opportunity 2 further suspects are connected nan run, and constabulary are asking anyone pinch accusation that mightiness lead to their arrests to travel forward.