Law Enforcement Dismantles Phishing Platform Used for Unlocking Stolen Phones

Law Enforcement Dismantles Phishing Platform Used for Unlocking Stolen Phones

September 20, 2024 at 08:03AM

Law enforcement agencies in Europe and Latin America dismantled the iServer phishing platform as part of Operation Kaerb, targeting over 1.2 million mobile phones and 480,000 victims. The operation resulted in 17 arrests in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Spain, including the platform’s administrator. iServer allowed low-skilled criminals to unlock phones and steal personal information.

From the meeting notes, I have gathered the following key points:
1. Law enforcement agencies in Europe and Latin America collaborated on Operation Kaerb, resulting in the takedown of the iServer phishing-as-a-service platform.
2. iServer targeted over 1.2 million mobile phones and had approximately 480,000 victims, primarily Spanish-speaking nationals from European, North American, and South American countries.
3. The operation led to the arrest of 17 individuals in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Spain, including the platform’s administrator, who had been operating the platform for five years.
4. iServer had over 2,000 registered paying users and offered phishing, SMS, email, and call performing services.
5. Group-IB, a threat intelligence firm that assisted in the investigation, described iServer as an automated phishing platform designed to harvest credentials for unlocking phones and to bypass Lost Mode function.
6. The platform also facilitated the sale of access to “unlockers” who provided phone unlocking services to criminals.
7. Phishing attacks were executed through SMS messages containing links to phishing pages, where victims were prompted to enter their credentials and additional information.

Please let me know if you need further details or any additional information.

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