A Melbourne man appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 6 March 2025 after allegedly attempting to steal mobile numbers from victims of identity theft.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched an investigation in July 2024 after an Australian telecommunications company reported multiple suspicious attempts to port mobile numbers using potentially stolen identification details.
AFP Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason warned that scammers are continually evolving their tactics to exploit digital vulnerabilities.
“Mobile phones are an integral part of our modern lives but have also become a target for potential scammers,” Det Supt Geason said.
“If you receive an unexpected message from your mobile provider stating that ‘you’ have requested your number be ported, this could be a sign that a scammer is attempting to take control of your phone. Similarly, if your mobile service suddenly disconnects or displays ‘SOS only’, it could indicate your number has been transferred without your authorisation.”
Porting scams allow fraudsters to transfer an unsuspecting victim’s mobile number to a device or SIM card under their control, bypassing multi-factor authentication settings and gaining access to sensitive accounts, including banking and personal data.
With support from Victoria Police and the telecommunications company, AFP cybercrime investigators examined more than 190 suspicious porting attempts. Their investigation allegedly uncovered 193 ‘port-in’ attempts involving 86 mobile numbers across different networks. Of these, 44 were successfully ported without the rightful owners’ consent.
The AFP is working to identify victims and gather statements from those allegedly affected.
Det Supt Geason urged the public to act swiftly if they suspect fraudulent porting attempts.
“If you believe you’ve been targeted, contact your mobile provider immediately and notify your bank to secure your accounts. You should also report the incident to ReportCyber.”
On 4 March 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at a Lynbrook residence, where they allegedly identified a 34-year-old man as responsible for the unauthorised porting activity. Police seized multiple mobile phones, a desktop computer, SIM cards, and suspected drug items, all of which are undergoing forensic analysis.
The man has been charged with knowingly causing an unauthorised modification of data, with reckless disregard for whether it impaired access, security, or reliability, contrary to section 477.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Support Our Journalism
The global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today—with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors—is doing just that. Sustaining this requires support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon
