The National Police Agency has warned the public about the “enter **21*” texting scam that enables hackers to take “total control” of people’s mobile phones and bank information.
Entering the combination of “*21**” and a phone number on a smartphone would compromise the device and all verification methods requiring a phone, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said.
In January, a New Taipei City office worker surnamed Liu (劉) was targeted by this scheme and lost NT$3.36 million (US$106,515) of his savings in 48 hours, it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The hackers pretended to be police and called the man about a made-up identity theft case, saying that it links him to purchase of restricted substances from medical suppliers, the bureau said.
Liu was talked into giving away personal and credit card information, and passwords to online banking and stock trading accounts, it said.
The hackers instructed Liu to buy a new cellphone and download an app, bundling all his credit cards into an account, the bureau said.
The hackers instructed him to dial “**21*” and a phone number, allowing them to remotely clone the man’s phone and access all data and financial apps it contained, it said.
The scheme defeated double verification and a host of other security measures, because calls and messages were routed to the device they controlled, not the one that belonged to the man, the bureau said.
The hackers siphoned NT$2.6 million from the man’s credit cards and sold NT$1.05 million of his stock, it said, adding that they pretended to be Liu when banks called.
Police have received reports of similar scams, the bureau said.
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