New banking trojan targets mobile phones
by Andy Gent The latest bank account-raiding Trojan, Hesperbot, includes element to persuade users to install a mobile malware component of the software onto Symbian, Blackberry and popular Android smartphones. The software, which has been reported infecting computers in the UK and throughout Europe is distributed through convincing package tracking documents from postal companies or […]
New use of mobile to create banking fraud
By Dilip Mistry Online and mobile banking has brought a new level of convenience to consumers world-wide and the growth of mobile payments, particularly in the developing world, has created new opportunities for commerce to be transacted. However, this also generates new opportunities for fraudsters. The Times of India reported this week on a new […]
Countering terrorism on the mobile network
By Shane Wilson, Revector Recent proposals by governments and security agencies have once again raised debate over how the mobile networks are to be treated in a threat scenario. The driver is the propensity for terrorist groups to deploy mobile as an element of an attack. In 2003, the FBI said that it found bombs […]
Part 3 Social media – how to avoid the fraudsters
Here are twelve simple rules to help anyone avoid social media fraud… Keep your Internet security software up to date to employ the privacy settings to limit who can view your profile Be cautious of downloading or using applications from unknown providers Beware of any links that ask you to sign on again Have a […]
Another week, another mobile phone scam
Our attention was drawn to an article published by Norfolk Police in the UK regarding another mobile phone fraud scam. An elderly man received three mobile phones in the post. He had the good sense to contact the network operator that had sent these and advise them that he had not ordered them. He also […]
How unique signal variations could help covertly track individual mobile handsets
According to recent research funded by the EU and the German government, and reported in The New Scientist, mobile phones give off a unique set of variations within their radio signal which has the potential to be employed by law enforcement to track any handset. Though the initial research carried out at the Technical University […]
Fighting a global battle against phone theft
Nearly half of all robberies in San Francisco last year involved a mobile phone; in Washington, a record 42% of robberies saw mobile phones taken. In New York, theft of iPhones and iPads last year accounted for 14% of all crimes. According to the Telegraph, Police and industry sources now admit that the sophistication of the criminal […]
GSM Gateways back in the High Court
We were interested to read that six UK telecoms companies have appeared in court this month to challenge Government rule changes over GSM Gateways which they claim were unlawful. The litigation has been rumbling on since 2009 when former GSM Gateway operator VIP Communications filed a £625 million damages claim against T-Mobile. Terminated by T-Mobile […]
Roaming charge changes demonstrate needs for more transparency from operators
July 1st 2013 marked the first day of a new regime of roaming charges across Europe. Reaction to this has been mixed and has varied from positive (EU Roaming rates slashed) to negative (EU Roaming rates slashed). Opinion varies from those that see this as a step on the road to a more customer friendly approach […]
Call Selling
Continuing our series on different types of mobile fraud, Mark Yelland analyses the risks of call selling to mobile operators. Call selling is the practice of selling service to customers at below market rates but using another person’s system and equipment to deliver that service. The usual practice is to sell cheap international calls to […]