Was at midvalley last week, for whole week same time i got this bloodly SCAM SMS about parcel uncollected by Pos Malaysia and with a link to click (thought Mcmc said no more sms link?)

When i got this my phone always drop to 2G EDGE. I have to toggle airplane mode before i get back 4G. Is it some kind of syndicate operating in Midvalley? Anyone else facing same problem?

You just got attacked by fake cell tower.

Phony cell towers are the next big security risk
https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/18/6394391/...g-security-risk

Android Users Should Disable 2G Connectivity, Says Google
https://www.howtogeek.com/google-encourages...g-connectivity/

You should treat all calls and SMS you made/receive as compromised.
If you visit any non-encrypted website, those are compromised as well.

Those look like using RCS, not SMS, i turn off RCS to avoid get link msg

Https can be scammer too...........

Using iFon so not rcs since ios dun support.

Then could also be maybe via iMessage
iOS is also getting RCS support in the near future

But as others mentioned, it's fake cell towers sending the messages
I've seen some send "class 0" messages even
Where it displays it as a pop up notice on your phone that isn't saved, demanding your attention

Operasi bersepadu SKMM, PDRM rampas kenderaan SMS phishing


https://www.buletintv3.my/jenayah/dalang-ak...padu-mcmc-pdrm/


Entrepreneur fined RM80,000 for using unauthorised communications equipment known as an ‘SMS Blaster’
https://thesun.my/local-news/entrepreneur-f...ment-GE12432613


Keeping your Android device safe from text message fraud
Android 12 introduced a user option to disable 2G at the modem level, a feature first adopted by Pixel. This option, if used, completely mitigates the risk from SMS Blasters. This feature has been available since Android 12 and requires devices to conform to Radio HAL 1.6+.
https://security.googleblog.com/2024/08/kee...-safe-from.html

Found a similar case of scam sms in a reddit post from 2 yrs ago at EkoCheras area, everyone recommended to report to MCMC in order for them to investigate.

I hope they get apprehended for jamming legit telco signals and spamming scam SMS to all users

Whoa. Ekocheras 2 yrs ago until now (caught 1) but still rampant, enforcement quite poor, people can still buy all this illegal equipment without any problem … kastam not doing their job?

Big syndicate operating scamming money can operate undetectable for so long … i believe it is happening in alot of places around MY …

The more effective method is for all device maker to include a Disable 2G option.
Better yet, make it the default. Doing anything else is knowingly includes a security vulnerability for anyone to hijack you mobile connection.

Depending on authority and people to report is just like hoping for police to catch all the thieves while leaving your door unlocked.

Malaysia shall shut down 2G once and for all as this tech has no more development and become security risk to mobile users.

Unlikely, a lot of IoT in remote locations still rely on 2g

Example, some TNB Smart Meters

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/...mart-meter-2026

Mid Valley always been scammer heaven... Since it's foot traffic always high side... One of The top mall location in Malaysia 💪

Previously it's face to face... Now that somehow stopped...

Now move on to SMS blast @ fake cell tower method...

Only 2G receive sms or 4G also receive sms?

Now their start to using IP address directly which didn't get banned by MCMC. 😮‍💨

The scam relies on 2G, because under 2G the phone does not authenticate the base station.

More than $100,000 lost in days to Singtel SMS scam




At least $100,000 was lost in less than a week to an SMS phishing scam involving the impersonation of Singtel.

The police said in a statement on Sept 7 that since Sept 2, they have received at least 14 reports of this scam.

Victims received SMSes informing them of expiring Singtel points and were directed to a phishing website resembling the actual Singtel redemption page. There, they were asked to select gifts and input their credit or debit card details, along with one-time passwords.

Victims realised they had been scammed only when they were notified by their banks about unauthorised transactions.

The police advised the public to protect themselves through measures such as blocking international calls and SMSes, using only official banking apps from recognised app stores and setting security features such as two-factor authentication for banking apps, social media and Singpass accounts.

The police also recommended setting transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow and PayLah.

Additionally, the public should check the authenticity of unsolicited clickable links, and check webpage addresses for discrepancies.


https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more...ingtel-sms-scam

Sindiket sebar SMS guna BTS palsu tumpas, empat ditahan


Ramli (kanan), Zulkarnain (kiri) menunjukkan peranti BTS palsu digunakan sindiket pada sidang akhbar di Menara KPJ, Kuala Lumpur, hari ini.

KUALA LUMPUR -Menggunakan kenderaan jenis utiliti sukan (SUV) dilengkapi teknologi Base Transceiver Station (BTS) palsu bagi menyebarkan sistem pesanan ringkas (SMS) untuk tujuan penipuan.

Tindakan empat lelaki warga tempatan berusia 39 hingga 46 tahun itu terbongkar selepas ditahan sepasukan polis sekitar Lembah Klang pada 19 November lepas.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersial Bukit Aman Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf berkata, peranti BTS palsu mampu memintas BTS yang digunakan syarikat telekomunakasi.

Jelas beliau, pancaran frekuensi itu mampu dibuat dalam radius 500 meter hingga satu kilometer dari jarak BTS palsu diaktifkan.

“Modus operandi adalah sindiket akan lokasi tumpuan orang ramai yang kemudiannya secara automatik menyebarkan SMS palsu kepada nombor telefon individu di kawasan sekitar.

“SMS yang dihantar akan kelihatan seperti SMS tulen yang datangnya daripada penyedia perkhidmatan telekomunikasi yang sah sehingga mengelirukan mangsa.

“Mangsa kemudiannya akan diberikan pautan dan diminta mengisi beberapa butiran penting termasuk maklumat perbankan dan nombor One Time Password (OTP),” katanya pada sidang akhbar di Menara KPJ, di sini, hari ini.

Turut hadir Timbalan Pengarah Pengurusan Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC), Datuk Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin.

Ramli berkata, tangkapan dibuat selepas pihaknya menerima laporan daripada seorang lelaki berusia 30 tahun yang menerima SMS daripada sebuah syarikat telekomunikasi mendakwa mempunyai mata terkumpul untuk menebus barang.

Kata beliau, selepas mengisi maklumat perbankan melalui pautan yang diberikan sindiket, mangsa mendapati wang kira-kira RM1,500 di dalam akaun miliknya telah hilang.

“Antara barangan dirampas adalah dua kenderaan SUV, pelbagai peralatan teknologi seperti modem wifi, bateri, wayar penyambut dan sembilan unit telefon bimbit dipercayai digunakan sindiket tersebut,” katanya.

Menurut Ramli, siasatan pihaknya mendapati sindiket terbabit mempunyai kaitan dengan sekurang-kurangnya 12 kes yang melibatkan nilai kerugian kira-kira RM116,271.

“Dengan penahanan ini, kita percaya dapat menyelamatkan kira-kira 32,000 pengguna harian telekomunikasi seluruh negara daripada ancaman penyebaran SMS palsu yang berpotensi mengakibatkan kerugian wang ringgit,” katanya.

Beliau berkata siasatan terhadap empat lelaki terbabit diteruskan di bawah Seksyen 4(1) Akta Jenayah Komputer 1997.

Sementara itu, Zulkarnain berkata sebelum ini pihaknya ada menerima laporan mengenai penggunaan teknologi BTS palsu dan ini merupakan kes kedua membabitkan penggunaan kenderaan dalam menyebarkan SMS palsu.

Beliau menegaskan, MCMC telah mengarahkan penyedia perkhidmatan untuk tidak memasukkan sebarang pautan dalam SMS berkuat kuasa pada 3 Mei lepas.

“Ramai pengguna tidak sedar sekiranya dapat SMS yang ada pautan (link), itu adalah palsu,” katanya.

Mengulas lanjut, pihaknya turut menjalankan siasatan mengikut Seksyen 236 (1)(a) Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998, Seksyen 233 (1)(a) Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998, Peraturan 16(1)(b) Peraturan Peraturan Komunikasi dan Multimedia (PPKM) (Standard Teknik) 2000Peraturan 34(5)© PPKM (Standard) 2000.-KOSMO! ONLINE.


https://www.kosmo.com.my/2024/11/26/sindike...-empat-ditahan/

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024...s-over-rm110000


This post has been edited by JLA: Nov 26 2024, 03:48 PM

Caught one, two will grow …

Actually this also scam sms?



First time saw

right now by right won't receive any sms with URL according to MCMC

https://soyacincau.com/2024/09/02/mcmc-proh...m-fraud-report/

today also received sms from CIMB, contains URL too, straight away report as spam

Look like i just ignore it, report mcmc need create acc
When pop up i confuse a while, Whatsapp send SMS? Then see why got link

yes, just look at the link

whatsapp-hu is the domain, so it isn't the official website

Take BTS for sure...

Rule 1 - Telco will never never send alphanumeric sender ID unless it's for Telco own usage or government i.e. GOV

Rule 2 - Domain/URL blocking already in placed. Highly likely proper domain is not possible to send through unless the sender manipulate the domain/URL characters.

To combat fraud, we really need to shutdown 2G network asap. Move those old devices (CC terminal etc) to run on latest radio network... Too bad, so of the alarm system will cut off immediately until the owner upgrade the equipment.

This post has been edited by thankyou: Nov 27 2024, 02:32 PM

I didn't report to mcmc, just use google message report only

I still remember yesterday my phone signal goes to G, then go back to 5G then received the sms which contains the URL

Taiwan also got such issue

Related

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/20...l-personal-info

Taiwan shutting down 2G/3G so no problem.

Malaysia also caught. good finally some peace



This post has been edited by Embrangle: Nov 28 2024, 10:01 AM

Chinese Cybercrime Bust in Thailand, Over 700 million Calls Using Fake ’02’ Numbers
November 18, 2024


Cyber police arrested one of nine suspects involved in one of the three companies that made 730,185,892 fraudulent calls using 02 numbers to deceive the public.

Police gathered evidence and obtained court warrants for 24 suspects – 9 foreigners (3 Chinese, 1 Singaporean, 1 Malaysian, 1 Myanmar, 3 Laotian) and 15 Thai nationals who served as company directors, expense managers, and money mule account holders.


Cyber police arrest a 35-year-old Chinese man named Yang, finding in his car an operating base station simulator connected to an 8,000W mobile power station, one WiFi router, and four mobile phones.

AIS teams identified it as an SMS transmitter using a false base station to simulate AIS network signals. The modified telecommunications radio equipment was operating on various frequencies without NBTC permission. In just 3 days (November 11-13, 2024), it had sent nearly 1 million messages.


https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/11...ake-02-numbers/




edit : video


This post has been edited by JLA: Nov 29 2024, 07:53 AM

"1 Malaysian"

Kahkahkah. I wonder if they're involved in the same scam back home.

All these scams are operated by China Chinese, that is where they can manufacture such equipment without license approval, then they ship it out in every countries, get someone to drive around sending sms link, while another team also operating in different location (depends on language needs) doing call centre handling the “issue”… then another gang handling the mule accounts for cashout/withdrawal … all operate independently to ensure one down the others can still operate as the operation can be brought back up online in short time …

It is a massive global business …

And this small fry caught once a year is merely to appease local authorities that they achieve something … the one who caught can be easily release out with small amount of affordable fine and start working again in no time …

Solution is to kill 2G

I think on the Pixels and phones with stock-ish Android, you can disable 2G.

No such option on Samsung unless you lock the bands with the *#2263# menu.

Sindiket guna peranti BTS sebar SMS palsu tumpas
SHAH ALAM - Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) bersama Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) berjaya menumpaskan sindiket penyebaran khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) palsu menggunakan peralatan telekomunikasi haram, Fake Base Transceiver Station (Fake BTS) dalam operasi yang dijalankan baru-baru ini.


SKMM merekod keterangan individu yang ditahan untuk membantu siasatan kes sindiket penyebaran SMS. Foto SKMM

Operasi dikenali sebagai Op Pancing, hasil aduan awam dan risikan berjaya menahan seorang individu ketika mengendalikan peralatan Fake BTS dalam sebuah kenderaan berhampiran pusat membeli-belah utama di Kuala Lumpur.

Menurut kenyataan Komunikasi Korporat SKMM, pemeriksaan menemukan kelengkapan komunikasi yang berfungsi sebagai Fake BTS dalam keadaan aktif.

“Ujian frekuensi mengesahkan peralatan tersebut bukan sahaja menghantar SMS mengandungi kandungan palsu dan pautan phishing, malah turut berunsur perjudian kepada orang awam di sekitar kawasan terbabit,” katanya pada Sabtu.

Susulan tangkapan itu, SKMM dengan bantuan PDRM menyerbu sebuah rumah teres dua tingkat di Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, yang dijadikan tempat penyimpanan kenderaan termasuk sebuah kenderaan pelbagai guna (MPV) serta kelengkapan komunikasi berkaitan Fake BTS.

Siasatan awal turut berjaya mengenal pasti modus operandi terbaharu sindiket, iaitu mengubah suai peralatan Fake BTS untuk beroperasi secara mudah alih.

“Secara keseluruhannya, 45 barangan telah disita dengan anggaran nilai RM100,000.

“Seorang individu turut dirakam keterangan bagi membantu siasatan lanjut,” ujar SKMM.

Kes disiasat di bawah Seksyen 239(1)(a) Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 [Akta 588] serta Peraturan 34(5)© Peraturan-Peraturan Komunikasi dan Multimedia (Spektrum) 2000.


https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/7467...ms-palsu-tumpas

One successful scam already can cover back RM100k, ROI is high. They only manage to catch once in few year while success scam happening weekly/monthly.

Android 15 on Maxis has the disabled 2G option, but yeah, only with Maxis as far as I could tell

I can confirm that on a Xiaomi Poco F5 running HyperOS 2, Android 15, you can disable 2G on U Mobile
Don't see it for my 2nd SIM (TuneTalk) though

Using Poco F5 and Honor 400 Pro, available on my Maxis, but not on Celcom and Digi.

Right... F5 with digi sim, no disable 2g option and no SA 5g option

F7 ultra hotlink SIM, got disable 2g option and with SA 5g option

Nonetheless, in the past years, most of scam fake BTS SMS affected maxis sim users, maybe that's why maxis SIM allow to disable 2g because they are well aware of this

However, since POCO has no restriction to access to the *#*#4636#*#*, that option doesn't matter that much. However, I do hope they enable this option at least for Celcom users, since they have implemented USSD over IMS for over a year. No point to even keep 2G network anymore haha

Maybe still alot of people still using 2G only phone. Saw lowyat and phone stall still selling those RM100 phone popular among foreign labors that only need voice call family. Everywhere around the world 2G shutdown is spearheaded by government not the telco themselves … and i also bet alot of rural area still no 4G fully rely on 2G.

Depends MCMC willing to do extra to prevent scam.

I saw telco took too long (like few years) to catch all these fake bts. Furthermore Kastam allowing all these equipment to come into the country also questionable …

5G SA only in U Mobile under P98 plans and Maxis Business plan with extra 20 per month.
Any usefulness on 5G SA? Tried and found almost or same latency. Same speed.

Wow, use same number with cimb
62886

Duo charged with jamming Maxis network near restaurant

no sms scammer picture
Choong For Seng, 43, and Ling Siew Lung, 46, as the accused, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out before Judges Dr Syahliza Warnoh and Dr Noor Ruzilawati Mohd Nor, respectively.

Before Syahliza, Choong was charged with using an uncertified GSM Module set with no brand, model or serial number, as required under the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000, by the roadside next to a restaurant in Mutiara Damansara here at 11.55 am on Nov 19, 2024.

Both judges allowed Choong and Ling bail of RM5,000 for each charge with one surety and fixed Dec 4 for case mention.

Prosecution was conducted by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab and MCMC prosecuting officer Mohamad Farhan Kamarudin, while the accused were represented by lawyers Kee Wei Lon and Jonas Ee Gen You, respectively. – BERNAMA

https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2025/1...near-restaurant

--------------

In Shah Alam, two men plead not guilty to using illegal GSM devices that disrupted telco network
email



LING Siew Lung (kiri) dan Look Voon How (kanan) dihadap ke Mahkamah Sesyen Shah Alam atas pertuduhan menggunakan kelengkapan komunikasi yang tidak diperakui serta radas yang menyebabkan gangguan telekomunikasi, tahun lalu. FOTO Faiz Anuar


SHAH ALAM, Oct 29 — Two men pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to charges of using uncertified communication equipment and devices, which caused interference to a telecommunication company’s network services.

The two accused, Ling Siew Lung, 46, and Look Voon How, 47, made the plea after the charges against them were read out separately before Judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak.

Look was charged with using uncertified communication equipment — a GSM Module set without brand, model or serial number as required under the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000 — at a parking lot in front of a fast-food restaurant in Subang Jaya in the Petaling district at 11.40am on November 19, 2024.

Judge Nor Hasniah granted bail of RM5,000 for each charge for Look and Ling, with one surety each, and fixed December 9 for case mention.

The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), while the two accused were each represented by lawyers Kee Wei Lon and Jonas Ee Gen You. — Bernama

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...-network/196432