Fake antenna scam: criminals block operator signals to take money from victims

Fake antennas require high investment and technical knowledge, explained to g1 the superintendent of Supervision at Anatel, Gesiléa Teles. "We are talking about equipment that can cost more than R$100,000. What we believe is that there are specialized criminals with the financial power to buy this type of equipment and train those who will operate it", he stated. The illegal operation is generally reported by operators who notice signal interference due to fake antennas, also called fake ERBs (acronym for "radio base station"). Anatel works together with the Civil Police to identify places where fake ERBs are used and how they arrive in Brazil. "There was already a case in which we found a man who was assembling a fake ERB. He took the components, assembled them and put them on the illegal market," said Gesiléa. "It was an investigation that involved the police of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo." Computer program used to trigger scams via SMS Reproduction/Anatel The use of signal blockers in Brazil is only permitted for some public bodies, such as those that manage prisons. They need authorization from Anatel to maintain this type of equipment. The operation of false antennas is considered a clandestine activity. The practice can lead to imprisonment for two to four years, a period that can be increased by half if there is damage to third parties, in addition to a fine of R$10,000. How fake antennas are found After receiving a complaint, Anatel sends a team to the informed region to begin the search for the illegal antenna. Technicians then use spectrum analyzers, equipment that tries to detect signal interference. The devices help direct the search to where the interference is greatest and, thus, find the location. This step can take days because the fake antenna is not visible to anyone on the street. Anatel equipment allows you to direct the search for fake antennas Reproduction/Anatel According to the agency, scammers usually rent apartments on high floors in high-traffic neighborhoods. They remain in place for a short period of time, in an attempt not to be noticed. "Criminals try to place this equipment in busy places and, generally, with a slightly more developed situation", explained Gesiléa, from Anatel. Once the exact point has been identified, Anatel contacts the Civil Police, who ask the Court for authorization to enter the location. In another case, an antenna was placed on a car to broadcast messages on congested roads in São Paulo. In addition to the antenna, the scam uses a black box that works as a transmitter and a notebook with the program responsible for sending messages to those in the region. Police discover center that functioned as a mobile scam unit How to protect yourself from fake antennas The fake antenna scam exploits a loophole in 2G, which makes the cell phone accept data from any antenna that can interact with it, explained Daniel Nunes, professor at the National Telecommunications Institute. "In modern generations, like 4G and up, there is a two-way authentication: the network authenticates the device, and the device authenticates the network. In the case of 2G, the network authenticates the device, but the device does not authenticate the network," he said. With this loophole, criminals intercept 4G and 5G and force the user's cell phone to "drop" to 2G. Thus, even in a busy neighborhood, the device understands that it is in a remote area, with less signal coverage. "This is practically impossible to do on mobile phones that are from 4G upwards", explained the professor, who recommends keeping the cell phone connected only to the most modern networks and preventing access through 2G antennas. On Android, this option is usually found in a path similar to this: Settings > Connections > Mobile networks. Then, disable the "Allow 2G service" option – the names may vary depending on the cell phone brand. On iPhone, follow this path: Settings > Privacy and Security > Isolation Mode. Click on "Activate Isolation Mode" and confirm your choice – the feature increases security, but limits the operation of other applications. To avoid scams via SMS, the advice is not to click on links or respond to requests to install applications that arrive in these messages. Another important measure is to keep the system updated to have more advanced security features. In messages, scammers talk about purchases and loans to induce victims to call fake call centers and click on malicious links Reproduction/Anatel