Police arrest SMS blaster crew that sent malicious messages to thousands across Toronto

The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now. Buy one Disrupt pass, and get the second at 50% off. Ends May 8. Register now. TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIApps EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest Police arrest SMS blaster crew that sent malicious messages to thousands across Toronto Zack Whittaker 7:49 AM PDT · May 7, 2026 Police have arrested and brought 44 charges against three men for allegedly operating an SMS blaster in downtown Toronto. The scheme, which began in November 2025, is the “first known instance” of an SMS blaster operating in Canada, according to the police report. In a statement, the Toronto Police Service said it believes tens of thousands of devices were blasted with spammy text messages over several months. SMS blasters work by spoofing cell towers and broadcasting a stronger signal than other towers in range in order to trick nearby cell phones and tablets into connecting with the blaster. Once connected to nearby devices, an SMS blaster can send out thousands of text messages, which may contain links to phishing sites that impersonate login pages of legitimate businesses. Such devices exploit security weaknesses in older 2G cellular networks to send these messages. The scheme aimed to steal people’s usernames and passwords, including banking credentials, said Lindsay Riddell, a Detective Sergeant with the Toronto Police, in a press conference. The police said such devices disrupt nearby cellular communications and interfere with 911 emergency services. The police have released a photo of a similar SMS blaster found in the United Kingdom during an earlier investigation (pictured above), but declined to share a photo of the blaster found in Toronto, citing safety reasons. Authorities said the SMS blaster was “uniquely built,” and was operated from the back of a vehicle, allowing the device to be used in multiple locations across Toronto. Techcrunch event This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW In 2024, police in Thailand arrested gang members for running a similar SMS blaster out of the back of a truck in Bangkok. The gang members reportedly blasted close to a million text messages over a three-day period. Users can block attempts by SMS blasters by switching off their phones’ 2G cellular connectivity. Users of Apple devices can turn on Lockdown Mode to switch off their 2G radios. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Zack Whittaker Security Editor Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this week in security. He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com. May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. Most Popular As workers worry about AI, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says AI is ‘creating an enormous number of jobs’ Lucas Ropek Elon Musk sent ominous texts to Greg Brockman, Sam Altman after asking for a settlement, OpenAI claims Julie Bort Tim Fernholz Anthropic and OpenAI are both launching joint ventures for enterprise AI services Russell Brandom Ouster’s new color lidar is coming to replace cameras Sean O'Kane We’ll take it: A TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse Connie Loizos This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling Amanda Silberling Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies Connie Loizos X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunchStaffContact UsAdvertiseCrunchboard JobsSite Map Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyRSS Terms of UseCode of Conduct AnthropicSAPSamsungMarc LoreTechCrunch DisruptTech LayoffsChatGPT © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.