In this 404 Media feature, Joseph Cox paints a new, chilling world in which crypto hackers have evolved into real-world criminals engaged in physical violence. Cox follows one such hacker named Braiden Williams, a member of a group called ACG, which is part of a mysterious wider network of criminal hackers and gamers known as Comm. He offers a fascinating look at how “SIM swappers” seize control of a person’s phone number to eventually hack into their digital accounts. The aim of various gangs within Comm is not only to steal large amounts of cryptocurrency; they also like to flaunt their wealth in spaces like Telegram and Discord, as well as exploit and extort young girls. “Hackers are no longer just people behind a keyboard,” writes Cox. “They have guns now, and innocent people are getting hurt.”
Everyone in a bank job has a specific role. A SIM swapping gang is no different. SIM swapping is the technique used by hackers to seize control of a target’s phone number, and by extension, their digital life and finances. The theft starts with a “Searcher,” who breaks into a person’s email account, perhaps by using software to churn through a mass of potential passwords or buying the login credentials from another hacker. Then, acting as the hacker equivalent of a bank robber casing the joint, the Searcher rummages through the target’s inbox. They’re looking for any sign that this person owns a good amount of cryptocurrency. An email showing their Bitcoin balance; maybe a receipt from when the person previously sold some of their cryptocurrency for cash. Anything that would signal this target is worth pushing to the next step.
Once the Searcher gets a hit, they prepare to cover the gang’s tracks. They configure the inbox to hide incoming emails from the target’s Bitcoin exchange. If seen, these may warn the target something is wrong—’we’ve detected unusual activity on your account.’ By automatically deleting or archiving those, the Searcher knocks out the security cameras in the bank lobby.
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