Smishing Triad Exploits Apple & Google Wallets for Global Fraud
Cybercriminals are exploiting mobile wallets on Apple and Google devices for fraudulent transactions. A group known as the 'Smishing Triad' is behind this, using sophisticated phishing techniques and expanding its targets globally.
The Smishing Triad, a loosely federated group of Chinese phishing-as-a-service operators, is enrolling stolen cards into mobile wallets. These cards are then sold to scammers for e-commerce and tap-to-pay fraud. One cash-out method involves an Android app called Z-NFC, which relays valid NFC transactions to anywhere in the world.
The group uses phishing to obtain card details. They impersonate toll road operators and shipping companies, with approximately 25,000 active phishing domains hosted mainly by Tencent and Alibaba. These domains are rotated frequently. The group uses iMessage for Apple users and RCS for Android, ensuring near 100 percent delivery rate and bypassing mobile networks.
The Smishing Triad is expanding its targets to include global financial institutions. It boasts having '300+ front desk staff worldwide' supporting various aspects of its fraud and cash-out schemes. China-based purveyors of SMS phishing kits are successfully converting phished payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has been identified as a target of the Smishing Triad, which operates advanced smishing campaigns globally across more than 121 countries. As the group expands its targets and infrastructure, it underscores the need for enhanced security measures and international cooperation to combat this growing threat.
Read also:
- Orioles' 2025 Turnaround Powered by Late-Season Pitching Acquisitions
- The Cost of Speech is Zero, True Strength Lies in Unity
- Beginning a Food Truck Venture: Crucial Stages to Achieve Profitability
- Aiming to simplify the move towards cleaner automobiles, the newly established ministry plans to take direct action with Pannier-Runacher, Létard, and Vautrin at the helm.
