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It was preserved as a record on October 27; the timeline below shows how it unfolded, with sources. Get the briefing to follow the top situations still developing: three emails a week, sourced and in order.

[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [CRIME]

2 clusters · 7 sources · 20 days · First seen · Last updated

Telecommunications-based fraud and identity theft

Overview

Authorities and security experts are warning of various telecommunications-based fraudulent tactics used to target personal and financial data.

In Mexico and Spain, officials have identified a rise in phone spoofing, where criminals falsify caller ID information to impersonate banks or legitimate institutions. In Tijuana, the Municipal Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection (SSPCM) noted that scammers use these fake identities to create urgency and solicit sensitive information. Similarly, in Spain, the National Police and Mossos d'Esquadra reported victims losing savings to scammers using virtual switchboards to rewrite caller IDs and impersonate entities like CaixaBank.

In addition to spoofing, SIM swap scams have been identified as a method to hijack mobile numbers. Attackers impersonate victims to convince mobile operators to deactivate a victim’s SIM card and activate a duplicate on the criminal’s device. This allows attackers to intercept SMS messages and verification codes, enabling them to bypass security measures for online banking and other digital services.

Entities

Mossos d'Esquadra · Policía Nacional · Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana Municipal · CaixaBank

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 2 sources
    SIM swap scams target mobile users to hijack accounts

    Criminals are using SIM swap scams to hijack phone numbers, intercepting verification codes to gain unauthorized access to bank accounts and digital services.

  2. [CRIME] 5 sources
    Phone spoofing fraud targets citizens in Mexico and Spain

    Authorities in Mexico and Spain are warning against telephone spoofing, a fraud technique where criminals falsify caller IDs to impersonate banks and institutions to steal money and personal data.

Sources

diariodecadiz.es · diariotijuana.info · dobreprogramy.pl · enlineabc.com.mx · expreso.com.mx · kobieta.onet.pl · que.es