The Department of Homeland Security says that Chinese criminal gangs have made more than $1 billion from text scams sent to US phone numbers over the past three years. Scam texts about fake highway toll payments, US Postal Service fees, and traffic violation fines are used to obtain credit card details. They also trick victims into submitting a one-time code from their bank, which allows the criminals to add the card to Apple Wallet … The Wall Street Journal reports that a large proportion of these scams are run by organized criminals in China. Criminal organizations operating out of China, which investigators blame for the toll and postage messages, have used them to make more than $1 billion over the last three years, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Behind the con, investigators say, is a black market connecting foreign criminal networks to server farms that blast scam texts to victims. The scammers use phishing websites to collect credit-card information. They then find gig workers in the U.S. who will max out the stolen cards for a small fee. One company which monitors and filters scam texts said that in just one day last month more than 330,000 toll scam messages were sent. The messages are sent by so-called SIM farms, and the DHS says there are at least 200 of these operating within the US, remotely controlled from China. “One person in a room with a SIM farm can send out the number of text messages that 1,000 phone numbers could send out,” said Adam Parks, an assistant special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of DHS. [The agency] has discovered SIM farms in shared office spaces, crack houses and an auto-repair shop. Once a victim has entered their credit card details, the SIM farm sends them another fake text asking for a one-time password to confirm the transaction. Unbeknown to them, this code has been sent by their bank because someone is attempting to add the credit card to a Google or Apple Wallet. Google Pay or Apple Pay is then used to make purchases of easily-resold items, which include both iPhones and gift cards. Mules based in the US are used to make the purchases in return for a percentage. Many of the victims of these scams are elderly, and the National Cybersecurity Alliance has put together a guide intended to help people avoid falling for them. Highlighted accessories Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash