Cranbourne’s Patrick Hric accused of telecommunications company identity theft
Federal police are working to find dozens of alleged identify theft victims following raids at a property where they seized a number of electronic devices, allegedly involved in a major fraud plan.
South East
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Police are working to find dozens of alleged identity theft victims after charging a man accused of being behind a cyber attack.
Patrick Michael Hric, 34, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after police seized numerous laptops and phones in a raid on his property earlier in the week.
Police allege the eight electronic devices seized had been linked to identy thefts.
In July 2024, an Australian telecommunications company alerted the AFP that multiple attempts had been made to port mobile numbers to its network using potentially stolen identification information.
Porting scams involve the transfer of an unsuspecting identify theft victim’s mobile number to a device or SIM card controlled by a scammer.
The con artists can then bypass multi-factor authentication settings to access bank accounts and other sensitive information.
The AFP, with assistance from Victoria Police and the telecommunications company, examined more than 190 suspicious porting attempts.
AFP cybercrime investigators discovered 193 ‘port-in’ attempts against 86 mobile numbers registered with different networks.
The AFP is working to identify alleged victims and procure statements from those allegedly affected.
On Thursday, the court was told Mr Hric had allegedly been involved in phone hacking from July 8 to 30 last year, with as many as 44 alleged victims targeted.
Wearing a Hawaiian shirt, Mr Hric had his bail varied after he was initially reporting to a police station daily.
He will now report to Cranbourne police station three days a week and also had his curfew removed.
Mr Hric, who lives with friends, will have to notify police should he change address.
AFP Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason said Mr Hric’s alleged offending highlighted how far scammers would go to try to bypass security settings and access people’s linked personal data.
“Mobile phones are an integral part of our modern lives but have also become a target for potential scammers,” Superintendent Geason said.
“I urge people to be alert to unexpected text messages from your mobile service provider saying “you” have requested your number be ported to a different network provider.
“This could indicate a scammer is trying to port your phone.
“Alternatively, if your mobile phone service is suddenly disconnected, or shows ‘SOS only’, this could also be a warning sign your number has been transferred to another provider without your authorisation.
“If you believe you have been the victim of an unauthorised porting attempt, it’s critical to contact your mobile phone provider immediately, and contact your bank to take steps to put a freeze or hold on banking transfers and cancel any potentially affected cards.
“Finally, report the incident to ReportCyber.”.
The Cranbourne man faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment if found guilty.
He will return to court on July 10.
