A man has been sentenced to more than three and a half years in prison following a complex investigation into the use of sophisticated fraud technology capable of bypassing mobile network security protocols to send out malicious SMS text messages.

Mohammed Faiyaz Iqbal, 43, of Maple Crescent, Preston, Lancashire, was arrested on 24^th May 2024 while sitting in a van at the Trafford Shopping Centre car park.

Officers identified the vehicle as being in the same vicinity as a large number of fraudulent SMS messages being transmitted to members of the public.

A search uncovered multiple mobile phones in the front of the vehicle. In the rear of the van, officers located an SMS “blaster” system concealed within purpose-built wooden compartments. The equipment included power sources, Wi-Fi components and aerials installed into the roof of the vehicle. The devices were turned on and actively being used in conjunction with applications on mobile phones.

The equipment acted as a rogue mobile antenna, bypassing telecommunications network security and broadcasting SMS messages directly to nearby devices. When it was seized in May 2024, this was the first known instance of UK law enforcement encountering an SMS blaster.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Little, from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit, said: “This case demonstrates the evolving nature of fraud and the lengths offenders will go to in order to target victims at scale.

“The seizure of this equipment is a significant step in disrupting emerging threats that seek to bypass established telecommunications safeguards. We will continue to work closely with partners across banking and telecommunications to identify, pursue and bring to justice those responsible for committing fraud.”

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “Keeping our customers and the public safe from fraud is a top priority, and we always stand ready to collaborate with law enforcement and our industry peers to ensure we disrupt scam networks and hold criminals to account.

“While this conviction is a victory for fraud‑fighting efforts, it also shows the lengths perpetrators will go to in order to cause Brits financial and emotional harm. At Virgin Media O2, we’ve blocked more than 1 billion scam texts to date, but to help stop more scammers in their tracks we’re calling on everyone to report suspicious calls and texts for free to 7726.”

The messages sent by Iqbal impersonated legitimate organisations, including Royal Mail, and were designed to trick recipients into providing payment and personal details, commonly referred to as “smishing”.

Examination of Iqbal’s mobile phones revealed 7,859 compromised payment card details. Further searches at his home address uncovered additional compromised banking material and three counterfeit UK driving licences, which were being used to set up impersonation bank accounts to launder criminal proceeds.

Iqbal was charged with the following:

• One count of fraud by false representation
• One count of possession of articles for use in fraud
• One count of acquiring and possessing criminal property
• One count of possession of false identity documents
• One count of unauthorised use of wireless telegraphy apparatus

Iqbal pleaded guilty at his first hearing on 9 March 2026 and was sentenced on 28 August 2026 to three years and eight months’ imprisonment. The judge determined that the appropriate sentence was five years and six months, but this was reduced by one third in recognition of Iqbal’s guilty plea.

The conviction was achieved thanks to the officers from the DCPCU working with mobile network operators including BT, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree and Sky as well as the National Cyber Security Centre and Ofcom.

DCPCU is a joint unit staffed by City of London Police, Met Police and UK Finance and fully funded by UK Finance – the British trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector.

How to protect yourself from potential smishing text messages:

• Most phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it’s found to be malicious.
• If you’ve lost money or provided financial information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.