Toronto police arrested three people involved in an SMS blaster scheme, in which the suspects drove around downtown Toronto with the devices running in the backs of their cars. These appliances mimic cell sites, intercept phone signals, and are used to send fraudulent text messages. The Toronto Police Service said in a news conference streamed on YouTube that this is the first-of-its-kind operation in Canada, and that the threat had ceased once the operation was broken up. Still, the authorities warned that people should remain vigilant, as they can still receive fraudulent texts via traditional channels.
Canadian investigators discovered that the perpetrators had infiltrated tens of thousands of mobile devices connected to the SMS blaster. It recorded 13 million network disruptions. Affect devices were restricted from accessing legitimate cellular networks and emergency services such as 911.
