British citizens in their role as stewards of a now-defunct nation iSpoof 13 years and 4 months in prison for online phone number spoofing service.
Teejay Fletcher, 35, of Western Gateway, London, was sentenced on 18 May 2023. plead guilty Last month saw a number of cyber crimes, including promoting fraud and possessing or transferring criminal property.
Available as a paid service, iSpoof allowed scammers to hide their phone numbers and pretend to be representatives of banks, tax offices, and other public authorities to trick victims.
This helpdesk scam purportedly alerted victims of suspicious activity on their accounts, tricking them into disclosing sensitive financial information or sending money to accounts controlled by the attackers.
The attackers impersonated representatives of various banks including Barclays, Santander, HSBC, Lloyd’s, Halifax, First Direct, NatWest, Nationwide and TSB, according to the British Metropolitan Police.
“The website offered a number of packages where users could buy Bitcoins for the minutes they wanted to use the software to make calls,” the Metropolitan Police said. Said in a statement.
Victim losses are said to be more than £48 million ($59.8 million) in the UK alone, and global losses are estimated to be at least £100 million ($124.6 million).
iSpoof was dismantled in November 2022 as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation that resulted in the arrest of Fletcher and 168 others involved in the operation.
Fletcher owned luxury watches by Range Rover, Lamborghini Urus, Rolex and Audemars Piguet, and is believed to have made around £1.7 million to £1.9 million ($2.1 million to $2.3 million) in illicit profits.
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“Fletcher spent time marketing iSpoof on his Telegram channel iSpoof Club,” noted the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation. “Fletcher wanted to set up a channel to promote iSpoof, keep users updated, and encourage website updates and development.”
A search of his home after his arrest in November 2022 found more than 30 mobile phones and numerous SIM cards used in carrying out the scheme.
“By setting up iSpoof, Fletcher has created a gateway for thousands of criminals to defraud innocent victims of millions of pounds,” Superintendent Helen Lance said. “In the meantime, he lived in luxury with the benefit of profits.”
