Investigating Card Not Present Fraud with Smishing Attacks, 28 January 2027
Our workshop looks at the best practice, challenges and opportunities around the growing scourge of Card Not Present Fraud with Smishing attacks.
Card-not-present (CNP) fraud with smishing is a cybercrime chain where criminals use SMS phishing (smishing) to trick victims into handing over their credit or debit card details, which are then used to make unauthorised remote purchases online or over the phone without needing the physical card.
Scammers exploit users’ trust in text communication channels which cannot be fully and safely monitored.
Trust is a crucial factor in the relationship between users and technology. When compromised, it can alter users’ behaviour and perception of security. Without establishing trust, interactions cannot be completed.
It is particularly challenging for police to investigate as it combines the tracking hurdles of digital telecommunications with the anonymity of online payment processing.
When a criminal uses a text message to trick a victim into surrendering their card information, billing details, and One-Time Passwords (OTPs), investigators face a fragmented, complex digital trail.
Unique insight into growing scam
Our workshop will provide investigators with a unique insight into this growing scam and crucially an understanding of scammer behaviour in this continuous evolving form of cyber-crime.
We’ll consider both the scammer and victim typology in such cases to inform and support the work of investigators.
How the scam works
We’ll provide a step by step look at how the scam works and the key characteristics of CNP smishing attacks.
Our expert
It will be run by leading Threat Researcher Sharad Agarwal who has carried out the fist empirical study into how cyber criminals monetise stolen credit card information obtained by SMS smishing, paying particular attention to their behaviour patterns from the initial text to transaction attempts.
Sharad will share key findings from the study and provide best practice and lessons to be learned from his work for investigators.
Research findings
In collaboration with a UK mobile network operator and financial institution, Sharad and his fellow researchers extracted active smishing URLs (mostly delivery, telecom, and streaming scams) and seeded 12 test credit cards with deliberately incorrect expiry dates to safely observe fraud behaviour without moving real money.
They tracked 36 authorization/transaction attempts across 17 online merchants globally. A total of eight of the 12 test cards were targeted (four received no attempts), with a mean card active lifetime of 8.37 days and a total attempted value of £427.85 across currencies like GBP, USD, EUR, and ILS.
Scammers attempted to monetise the cards across software, restaurants, telecom, digital goods, crowdfunding, resold gift cards, and illicit infrastructure services (such as VPNs and LLMs).
Mobile phone numbers supplied to the smishing URLs continued to receive targeted smishing texts afterward resulting in re-victimisation.
Who should attend?
The workshop is aimed at investigators and analysts working in a cyber, fraud, financial crime or a serious and organised crime role who want to enhance and develop their understanding of this ever-evolving scam.
Held online via Teams
Certificates of CPD available
HOW TO BOOK
Cost: £219 + VAT (GBP) per delegate per workshop (LEA and Government Agency rate). £275 + VAT (Industry rate), per delegate
Group bookings: We offer various discounts for group bookings depending on numbers, please contact us for details.
Booking: Please send the delegates name(s), email address(es) and purchase order (made out to The Investigator) to booking@the-investigator.co.uk or telephone +44(0)844 660 8707 for further information.
Payment can be made by PayPal/debit/credit card. The meeting link will be sent out 7 days before the event.