Police arrest SMS blaster crew that sent malicious messages to thousands across Toronto

Law enforcement in Toronto has apprehended three individuals, leveling 44 charges against them for allegedly running an SMS blasting operation in the heart of the city. This initiative reportedly marks the first instance of such a scheme within Canada, as detailed in a police statement. According to officials from the Toronto Police Service, the operation, which commenced in November 2025, sent a barrage of spam text messages to tens of thousands of devices over several months. SMS blasters work by simulating cell towers and emitting a more potent signal than surrounding towers. This tactic tricks nearby mobile phones and tablets into connecting with the blaster, enabling it to dispatch thousands of messages, often containing links to phishing websites that mimic legitimate business login pages. The operation aimed to capture users’ personal information, including sensitive banking credentials. Detective Sergeant Lindsay Riddell emphasized the serious implications of such devices, noting they not only target user data but also disrupt local cellular networks, impeding essential services like 911. While the police shared an image of a similar SMS blaster discovered in a previous investigation in the United Kingdom, they opted not to reveal the model seized in Toronto for safety reasons. Notably, this device was reportedly custom-built and operated from the back of a vehicle, facilitating its mobility across various locations in the city. In a related incident last year, Thai authorities arrested members of a gang that operated a similar SMS blaster from a truck in Bangkok, sending close to a million unwanted messages over just three days. To protect against such intrusive operations, users can disable their phones' 2G connectivity or, for Apple device users, activate Lockdown Mode to deactivate 2G radios.