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Millions every year of stolen phones. While thousands iPhone We are Shipped to China By breaking it down into parts, criminals can make more money by selling an unlocked and wiped device. Researchers have now discovered part of a secret network of cybercrime services that could help provide access to stolen iPhones.
Across the web and on cableThere is a “thriving” ecosystem of software vendors that are helping to boost the market for stolen iPhones by providing “unlocking” tools and production technology. Phishing Messages to help reach your phone, based on your findings Researchers At cybersecurity company Infoblox. The company says it tracked “dozens” of groups selling unlocking tools, focusing mostly on iPhones, and linked more than 10,000 phishing websites to the activity. Researchers say traffic to these domains increased by 350 percent last year.
“Reselling is 100 percent what they’re after,” says Mile Le Touze, a threat researcher at Infoblox, who says people from all over the world seem to be buying access to the pay-per-use software. The average cost is less than $10. “Obviously most people looking to unlock their phones don’t have thousands of phones in their hands — they’re not on that scale,” Le Toze says.
Over the past few years, the number of stolen phones has increased, for example, with About 80 thousand devices being Taken in London In one year. while apple and Google They have improved protections for stolen devices, and a variety of more and less sophisticated thieves can still make money from stolen phones: If the phone is unlocked or the thief has its passcode, they can potentially steal money from online banking accounts or cryptocurrency wallets; Those who snatch phones on the streets or in bars can do so Hundreds of dollars Sell it on.
“Phone thieves don’t just want the phone, they want access to bank accounts and personal information,” says Will Lane, Head of Economic and Cyber Crime at the Metropolitan Police. Lane highlights one case of four men who were hold Dealing with over 5,000 stolen phones and spending money from financial accounts on the devices.
Dan Guido, CEO and co-founder of security company Trail of Bits and strategic advisor to mobile security company iVerifyHe says a stolen phone could be worth $50 to $200 just when it’s unlocked. “But if you open it, it’s worth $500, or it’s worth $1,000.” This difference can encourage people to develop ways to try to access the devices. “It’s all an ecosystem, and there are many people at different levels of the supply chain who are all working together to unlock phones,” he says.
Security researchers at Infoblox began looking into the economy of unlocking stolen phones earlier this year when a law enforcement contact in Asia sent them a message saying their iPhone had been stolen and they had received a phishing message after including alternate contact details on Locked device. There is a link on the phishing page that mimics a Apple Find My Page It showed a fake map with the phone’s location, then showed a pop-up asking for the phone’s PIN.
Many people connectedas well as the Swiss National Center for Cybersecurity, reported receiving phishing messages after losing or stealing their iPhones, with attackers aiming to access and remove Apple iCloud accounts from the phones. “To make the messages look convincing, they include precise details about the missing device – such as its model, color and storage capacity – which fraudsters can read directly from the phone itself,” the Swiss authority said. books In November. “Since there is no known way to bypass this lock, tricking the owner through social engineering is the only realistic option for criminals.”