Police smash suspected fraud text system in Manchester hotel room
25 thousand phishing messages were sent in one day
Officers in Manchester city centre have made an arrest and seized computer equipment after an estimated 26,000 fraudulent text messages, purporting to be a delivery company, were sent in one day.
A team of PCSOs from Greater Manchester Police attended a hotel on Charles Street at around 3.30pm on Thursday 17 June after hotel staff reported suspicious activity by a man seen with a large amount of cables in a bag.
Equipment was later found in one of the rooms that officers believe was being used as part of a text message scam to defraud people - known as phishing.
A 21-year-old man from Manchester has been arrested on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation. He remains in custody for questioning.
It is estimated that yesterday alone around 26,000 text messages had already been sent from the devices purporting to be from Hermes asking for bank details after a missed delivery.
A total of 44,000 mobile phone contacts are also believed to have been stored on the devices.
An investigation is underway and police are reminding the public to be aware and vigilant of such attempted mobile scams.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of GMP's City of Manchester Central division, said: "What we have uncovered here are potentially the components of a highly sophisticated and authentic scam that I know many people not just in Greater Manchester but across the country have been potential victims of in recent weeks and months.
"We have a man in custody and various items of potential evidence that we have seized and this is due to the initiative of the hotel staff, who acted on their suspicions, and the subsequent response from our neighbourhood officers in the city centre.
"These are the very early stages of what promises to be a complex and dynamic investigation, and I would like to take the opportunity to remind the public to ensure they keep remaining alert to the daily risks that unscrupulous cyber criminals pose to them by sending these fraudulent messages."
Anyone affected by this case or with information or concerns can contact Action Fraud here: Report a phishing attempt | Action Fraud or police online, if able, via www.gmp.police.uk or call 101.
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): report@phishing.gov.uk
Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.