Sydney (TDI): A 21-year-old Pakistani national living in New South Wales has been charged over allegedly obtaining the personal financial information of more than 100 Australians, which he used to fraudulently acquire hundreds of high-end mobile devices.
The accused appeared in the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after being arrested on November 27.
His arrest followed a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3), involving Australian law enforcement and telecommunications companies Optus and TPG Telecom.
AFP investigators reportedly seized over $1 million in cash, more than 500 SIM cards, and 21 electronic devices—including laptops and mobile phones—containing credit card and financial details at the man’s home in Auburn, a western Sydney suburb.
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The investigation, launched in March 2023, began after numerous Australian victims reported receiving calls from someone pretending to be a telecommunications service representative.
The victims were told their mobile service was undergoing maintenance and were offered discounts on new devices.
The caller allegedly instructed the victims to upgrade their mobile devices and sent them a one-time PIN for authorization.
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The accused is believed to have intercepted this PIN, allowing him to use the victim’s saved payment information to purchase mobile phones or tablets on their account, which were then delivered to a different address.
The devices were reportedly sent overseas for resale.
Suspicious when they did not receive their upgraded devices, the victims contacted their telecommunications providers, which led to the investigation.
