Martin Abgottspon
29.4.2026
One device in the trunk, one trip through the city and thousands of smartphones receive a scam text message. And all this happens without the perpetrator knowing a single number.
29.04.2026, 15:42
29.04.2026, 16:22
Martin Abgottspon
What first came to light in Geneva last summer is no longer an isolated incident. As research by "Kassensturz" shows, cantonal police forces in Zurich, Lucerne, Zug, Ticino and both Basel have confirmed the use of so-called SMS blasters on their territory. The scam is more widespread in Switzerland than previously known.
The principle is as simple as it is effective: the device pretends to be an official mobile phone antenna. Smartphones in the vicinity connect to it and automatically receive phishing messages. In Geneva, 154 victims were defrauded of almost two million francs in this way. In the canton of Vaud, around 40 people lost a total of 260,000 francs.
The special feature of this method is that it bypasses SMS filters, which have been in operation since 2022 and are used to block tens of thousands of fraudulent messages every day. "These devices are attractive to fraudsters because they can be used without having to rely on the telecommunications provider's network," explains cybersecurity expert Marc Ruef.
Last fall, a perpetrator was on the move in the region between Muttenz and Basel, sending phishing text messages in the name of Migros, among others. He is said to have reached around 100,000 smartphones in a single day. The Basel-Landschaft police were able to arrest a Chinese citizen and are now showing a seized device to the public for the first time. It is about the size of a computer case, connected to a car battery and controlled by an app.
For tactical reasons, the police do not want to say exactly how the arrest was made. But one thing is clear: "An SMS blaster leaves many electronic traces," says Lukas Wunderlin, Head of Cybercrime at Basel-Landschaft police. And the arrested man did not act alone. According to the police, the investigation points to an organized network.

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