SINGAPORE: Using the default personal identification number (PIN) 8888, Arivalagan Muthusamy gained access to multiple StarHub voicemail mailboxes which were used to take over WhatsApp accounts.
A few of these accounts were after that used in cheating scams that saw three victims transfer S$83, 750 (RM270, 769) to a syndicate.
Arivalagan, 37, has been sentenced to 10 months’ jail upon Monday (Aug 8) after he pleaded guilty to three charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
Arivalagan’s alleged accomplice – Hoang Trung Khang – has been charged in courtroom, and proceedings against the 28-year-old Vietnamese national is ongoing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor R. Arvindren stated in court documents that Arivalagan and Hoang started working for a syndicate involved in cheating scams last year plus targeted StarHub mobile users registered using a voicemail feature.
The voicemail mail box could be accessed remotely by keying within the mobile number and PIN.
Arivalagan and Hoang known as mobile numbers to try if the call will get diverted to voicemail message when it goes unanswered.
Arivalagan then called StarHub’s company hotline and keyed in the targeted victim’s mobile number as well as the default PIN, which is available publicly.
After getting an information containing an one-time password, it was used to illegally take over WhatsApp accounts of the victim by registering a brand new account on one more mobile device.
It was not clear within court documents how the one time password messages had been generated.
Said DPP Arvindren: “The accused knew that the purpose of taking over WhatsApp accounts of sufferers is to allow the association to cheat people in the contact list of the victims’ WhatsApp accounts by asking these to invest in gold or even cryptocurrencies. ”
Between October and Nov 26 a year ago, Arivalagan accessed forty WhatsApp accounts belonging to unknown owners to be able to gain control of the particular accounts. He was paid S$250 (RM808) for each compromised account.
On Nov 27, Arivalagan utilized another 12 WhatsApp accounts following instructions from a syndicate member called Shawn. Arivalagan was provided a listing of numbers to contact.
Three of the accounts were later logged out and could not have to get used by the association, and Arivalagan was paid S$2, 250 (RM7, 274) for the nine other accounts.
The next day, this individual gained access to the StarHub voicemail mail box belonging to Amos Lye.
Lye’s WhatsApp account was then taken over by the syndicate, and his friends had been then contacted by a member of the syndicate and were targeted as potential scam victims.
Multiple police reports had been filed and Arivalagan was arrested upon Nov 29 a year ago at an unit within Geylang, and Hoang was arrested within a hotel room in the exact same area the next day.
In his written sentencing submissions, DPP Arvindren asked for Arivalagan to become sentenced to 11 months’ jail, stating the nature of his crimes is difficult to detect and the crime was fairly sophisticated.
For each cost, Arivalagan could have been fined S$5, 000 (RM16, 165) fine and jailed for up to two years. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia Information Network