"SMS sniffing" telecom network fraud has made a comeback

Industry experts believe that the underlying logic of this fraud method is not complicated. When users log in to online banking or some apps, they need to receive SMS verification codes, and criminals illegally obtain these verification codes, then log in to the victim's account and withdraw money. Transfer, large consumption and other illegal acts. At night, people basically can't use mobile phones, so naturally they can't see the relevant tips, and criminals mostly use the night to "enter the room through walls".

Ma Jihua said that although this method is not a small disaster, it also has its own limitations, that is, it can only be implemented under the GSM network with 2G signals. 2G technology came out as early as 199 1 year ago. In the environment at that time, technology did not pay enough attention to security, such as "weak encryption" between mobile phones and signal towers, and the lack of base station authentication, which led to the entry of pseudo base stations.

Ma Jihua said: "Technically, as long as users use 3G, 4G and 5G networks, this phenomenon can be avoided, but criminals can interfere with communication signals through some electromagnetic devices, such as causing poor quality of 5G signals, so that the mobile phone will automatically drop to 2G mode and commit fraud after forcibly dropping the network."

From the perspective of network development, the living space of this kind of deception will become smaller and smaller. According to the data released by 20021information office, China has built the world's largest optical fiber network and 4G network, and the penetration rate of fixed broadband households has increased from 52.6% at the end of 20 15 to 96% at the end of 2020, and the penetration rate of mobile broadband users has increased from 57.4% at the end of 20 18 to 08% at the end of 2020. In addition, 7 1.8 million 5G base stations have been built, and the number of 5G terminal connections exceeds 200 million.

In addition to users' need to keep their eyes open, operators also need to make continuous efforts in anti-fraud and anti-fraud. According to Beijing Mobile, as early as 20 16, when "illegal SMS sniffing" first appeared, Beijing Mobile developed a monitoring and positioning capability specifically for "illegal SMS sniffing". Since 20 18, Beijing Mobile has maintained close communication with the Beijing police and established a special linkage mechanism for "illegal SMS sniffing". The two sides cooperated to hold popular science lectures to popularize the knowledge of "illegal SMS sniffing" and preventive measures for the people in the jurisdiction.

In addition to technology upgrading and user education, some experts also pay attention to strengthening audit from the source. Shen Meng, executive director of chansons Capital, believes that telecom fraud also needs to obtain the entrance of telecom mode, so as long as the audit management of telecom entrance is strengthened at the telecom operator's end, the path of fraud using telecom channels can be cut off.

For telecom enterprises, the wholesale purchase of telecom resources is an important source of income, such as a large number of electric signal cards and call center services. If the buyer's audit is not strict, these resources can easily fall into the hands of criminals and be used for fraud and harassment. Therefore, relevant experts believe that in order to eradicate telecom fraud, operators should assume more social responsibilities and strike a good balance between security and income. (Golden King)