Be careful when you receive a text message instructing you to open a website or give any personal information, even if it comes from a familiar number. The phishing scams of email have come to the world of texting.
A customer service alert from your bank. May be a trick to catch you in a huge financial trap.
"I received a message from the number of my bank, notifying me to reset my bank card by clicking the link attached below, as my card was about expire. But when I opened the website and followed the instructions, I suddenly realized that my bank account had been hacked and a huge amount of money had been transferred," said a victim.
The case is typical of scams conducted by fake base stations. A fake base station can be easily assembled with a computer and an emitter, an antenna, or even a phone. The equipment sends out a huge power signal which forces all mobile users in an area to disconnect from their legitimate base stations and instead to receive messages from the fake ones.
They send spam messages, and phishing texts disguised as communications from judicial or administrative enforcers or customer service departments of telecom operators and banks.
"The swindlers always entice people to input bank account information and verifying codes for illegal collection in order to hack the account and then steal money," said online security expert Pei Zhiyong.
Buying and selling fake base stations is illegal in China. But a huge underground market is putting the public at risk.
"Once receiving messages, people should first check if it is officially authorized, and a double-check is definitely needed. Remember not to open any links attached; if there's anything unclear, just turn to official customer services," said Su Xingbo from Beijing Public Security Bureau.
The government is working to crack down on the illegal stations, and to organize and regulate the industry. But authorities warn despite some successes, there are still a lot of illegal stations in operation.