- Blaster SMS scams are increasing and difficult to detect
- These scams involve cybercriminals that lead to cities and targeting phones nearby with false cellular towers
- There are some simple ways to protect you from these scams
The term “SMS blaster” is still unknown to many, but these devices are increasingly popular weapons used by cybercriminals – and your phone could be the target.
These small devices can be used to target hundreds of phones at the same time, and they were surprised sending up to 100,000 SMS per hour. The worst part is that you may not even notice if you were targeted by an SMS blaster attack.
Fortunately, you can protect yourself from these attacks with a simple parameter on Android. IPhone users are less likely, but there are ways to stay safe, whatever the smartphone you use.
How do SMS blaster SMS scams work?
The term “SMS blaster” refers to small portable devices that crooks can hold in the trunk of a car or even in a backpack.
These devices imitate cell towers and make phone in the connection by diffusing a false signal, then use this opening to send hundreds, or even thousands of phishing texts (a practice known as “Smirs”).
In reality, an SMS blaster is a fairly modest device, and those found with them are often hired by cybercriminals for the sole purpose of driving in certain areas. Like the SEKOIA security company (via ARS Technica) has recently reported, crooks have also operated unrelated cellular routers that are generally used in industrial environments to eliminate phishing messages.
As described by CableThe so -called SMS blasters force dangerous connections by creating an illegitimate phone mast, called a cellular site simulator (CSS). Telephones taken within its department – which can measure up to 1,000 meters (328 feet) according to the National Center for Swiss Cybersecurity (NCSC) – are vulnerable to SMS scams.
The device initially connects to nearby phones by sending a 4G signal. Then, this pushes them to demarcation at 2G, which is much less secure.
“The 2G Fake Base base station is then used to send malicious SMS (exploding) to mobile phones initially captured by the False 4G base station,” Wired Cathal McDaid, technology and telecommunications vice-president in ENEA, told Wired Cathal McDaid. The entire process, from the initial connection to sending a text, can take less than 10 seconds.
Real messages often contain phishing links, and they are not blocked by network operators. No matter the carrier and it doesn’t matter if you use an older phone or one of the Best smartphonesYou could be vulnerable to blaster SMS attacks.
The worst of these scams is that cybercriminals don’t even need to know your phone number.
Blaster SMS attacks are more and more common
The wired relationships according to which these scams come from the countries of Southeast Asia, but they are now increasingly common in the world.
Barely a few months ago, a man in the United Kingdom was imprisoned for more than a year for having used a blaster sms in the trunk of his car (via The guardian). He went around London for a few days in March 2025, and the texts he sent reached thousands of potential victims. Ironically, as the authorities came to arrest him, they received a text claiming to be HM returned and customs – the result of the phishing device.
That said, this technology is still relatively new and mobile networks are powerless when it comes to stopping them. “None of our security checks applies to messages that the phones receive from them,” Wired Anton Reynaldo Bonifacio, the Director of Information Security and the head of the AI at Globe Telecom told Wired.
SMS blasters are sold online for thousands of dollars, which, for a group of cybercriminals, are not really an obstacle. So far, SMS blaster scams in many countries, including New Zealand, Brazil, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and the United Kingdom.
How to protect yourself
If you have an Android Android 16 or more recent Android phone, you can deactivate 2G connectivity on your device.
To deactivate 2G connectivity, find the drop in “2G” network protection in your mobile network or SIM settings. This can usually be found in Settings> Network & Internet> Sims, where you can find a “authorize 2G” rocking (see below).
On Samsung phones, search for a similar parameter in the settings> Connections> Mobile networks, where there should be a “authorize 2G service” rocking. Beyond that, Android 16 also introduced a change that Flags Fake Cell Towers and alerts you About them.
Apple does not have an exact equivalent to this, which makes a little more difficult to avoid 2G networks – but not quite impossible. The iPhone locking mode (below, available on iOS 16 or subsequent version) deactivates 2G connections, but you will also lose many other features next to it, so regular use is not really recommended.
To find it on your iPhone, go to Settings> Confidentiality and Security, then press the locking mode. This option is also available on iPads using the same process.
It doesn’t matter if you use Android or iOS, the wider advice to avoid SMS scams are the same regardless of the source.
Beware particularly of the texts that ask you to make a payment – for example, toll costs. The other favorites among fraudsters are SMS on deliveries, late payments or reimbursements, so do not follow these messages without investigating them first.
There are other revealing signs. The scam texts frequently include grammatical errors or inconsistencies with formatting. Take a break for a moment and take a closer look at all URLs, because they will often contain quirks or gifts.
Naturally, you must also connect only to your banking application or to your delivery service directly from your own address book or bookmarks (or by tying it manually in a browser), rather than clicking on text messages.
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