An unsecured SMS spam operation doxxed its owners

guest · May 10, 2019

An unsecured SMS spam operation doxxed its owners
The database also stored personal data on more than 80 million people
May 9, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/09/sms-spammers-doxxed/

A massive SMS spamming operation kicked out tens of millions of text messages, pestering unsuspecting recipients with links to fake sites flogging loans and free money.

The operation was simple but smart. The system processed vast batches of phone numbers and curated custom messages on the fly with links to the fake sites. These fake sites urged spam victims to sign up with their name, email address and phone number and promised “free money… for real.” (It wasn’t.)

It’s almost as if the spammers thought of everything. Except, that is, putting a password on their server.

The database is run by an outfit called ApexSMS. Little is known about Apex — it’s not known if it’s a legitimate company or not. Its website today is simply a login page, but for a time simply said, “nothing to see here.”
[...] In follow-up questions, Mobile Drip denied any connection to ApexSMS, and referred to the company’s terms and conditions, which expressly prohibit spam on its platform.

“We take compliance and data security very seriously, and we are currently investigating to determine to what extent our information has been exposed to unauthorized parties. [...]"
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