The scheme involved a device that the Toronto Police Service identified as an SMS blaster. According to the police, this device mimics legitimate cell towers, causing nearby mobile phones to automatically connect to it. Once connected, SMS Blaster can send fraudulent texts that appear to come from trusted institutions such as banks or service providers. Those messages often include links to websites designed to fool victims into handing over personal information, including financial credentials and passwords.
Such schemes are not entirely new. Similar devices have been used in recent years in other countries, including the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Greece. But Toronto police say this is the first known case involving the technology in Canada.
“What makes this particularly worrying is the scale and impact of it,” Deputy Chief Rob Johnson said at a news conference on April 23.
Police said that when phones connect to these rogue devices and are diverted from legitimate networks, it can interfere with the victim’s ability to make calls, including reaching emergency services.
Toronto Police began investigating the scheme in November 2025 after being alerted by a security partner about a suspected SMS blaster operating in downtown Toronto. The investigation, which included coordination with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, York Regional Police and Hamilton Police, ultimately determined that the devices were mobile and being operated from the rear of vehicles.
“We believe thousands of devices were linked to the blaster over a number of months,” Detective Sergeant Lindsay Riddell said at the press conference. “We also identified more than 13 million network disruptions where devices failed to properly connect to legitimate cell towers. This is important because during those moments, access to services like 911 can be impacted.”
Police executed a search warrant last month that resulted in the arrest of two people. Last week a third man himself got involved. The three men have been collectively charged with 44 crimes including fraud and mischief.
“This is a clear example of how cyber-enabled crime is becoming more advanced, more mobile and more difficult to detect, and police must continue to evolve along with it,” Johnson said.
Police say they believe the threat posed by SMS blasters in Toronto is no longer going away. Still, they are urging the public to remain vigilant, avoid clicking on links in unsolicited text messages and to come forward if they think they are the victim of a scam. Authorities have not yet determined how much money may have been lost in the scheme.
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