By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – Authorities on Tuesday arrested a Malaysian suspected of heading a syndicate that supplies rogue cell towers used in text scams in the country.
Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Alexander Ramos said the suspect, Thiang Choon Wee, is allegedly the leader of a syndicate that supplies International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers.
“Hindi papayag ang gobyernong ito lalong lalo na ang sambayanang Pilipino na paglaruan tayo ng mga dayuhang scammer. Lalabanan natin ito (The Filipino government and its people are not going to let foreign scammers play us. We are going to fight),” Ramos said in a press conference.
An IMSI catcher — also called a rogue or fake cell tower, “stingray,” cell site simulator, or drop boxes — is an electronic device that tracks and intercepts mobile phone communications.
The CICC began its monitoring of the IMSI supplier in October last year.
“We patiently waited for the big fish to surface before we conducted the operation,” he said.
The suspect was arrested in a joint operation by the CICC, Philippine National Police – Anti Cybercrime Group, the Bureau of Immigration, and the National Telecommunications Commission.
Ramos said these IMSI catchers are used in text scams by mimicking cell towers and convincing nearby phones to connect to them, allowing for the collection of their IMSI number.
IMSI numbers can be used to track the location, activity, intercept messages, calls and data traffic of target phones. (PNA)
