A man who allegedly sent millions of scam text messages within seven days has also been accused of using passport and driver’s licence details to commit fraud as he faced court for the first time.
Xuan Su, 39, is allegedly responsible for sending 17.5 million text messages pretending to be from Post and toll company Linkt over one week in early December through an SMS phishing scam run from his home in south-west Sydney.
These scams typically involve using devices called SMS boxes to send out bulk messages directing people to websites using fraudulent links.
Su was flanked by supporters, including his wife and their young child when he appeared in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday for a brief hearing.
Su was hit with a fresh charge, accused of using driver’s licences, passports and other personal documents to commit fraud between September 2022 and December 2023 in Hurstville, according to documents filed with the court.
Accused SMS phishing scammer Xuan Su wore a mask to hide his face from the cameras after he appeared in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday
The new charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
Su wore a face mask and carried young child in his arms used as a shield to hide his face while fleeing the media pack when he left court.
He offered no comment to reporters’ questions while a woman understood to be Su’s wife also ordered the media to ‘stop filming my daughter’.
Su was arrested on December 12 when cybercrime officers executed a search warrant at a Moorebank home.
Police seized two SIM boxes, a number of SIM cards and electronics allegedly consistent with running a fraudulent text message scam.
SIM boxes can hold over 250 active SIM cards and can send out up to 150,000 messages daily.
Su is yet to enter pleas to one charge of using equipment connected to a network to commit a serious offence and another charge of using identity information to commit an indictable offence.
Millions of SMS messages were allegedly sent to Aussies within a seven day period posing to be from Post and other companies (stock image)
Police seized two SIM boxes (pictured) when they raided the Moorebank property on December 12
Su’s lawyer David Downey asked the court for a two week adjournment to enter pleas.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions then requested additional time to serve their brief of evidence,, which was granted.
It remains unclear as to whether Zu plans to fight the two charges when the matter returns to Campbelltown Local Court on April 10.
‘I need to take further instruction from my client,’ Mr Downey told reporters.
He added nor he or his client wished to make any further comment.
Su remains out on bail.
An image of one of the scam texts messages Su allegedly sent trying to trick people into handing over money
His recent arrest prompted a warning for Aussies to be vigilant about phising scams.
Legitimate businesses never call or SMS customers seeking confidential information.
‘Under no circumstances should you ever click on a link you receive in an SMS message or email,’ NSW Police Cyber Squad Commander Jason Smith said at the time.
‘Always be suspicious when you receive such requests
‘Scammers will often pretend to be from a reputable company or financial institution so even if it’s a company you regularly deal with, the safer option is to independently log into that company’s website to check your account.’
ns lost $92million in scams in the year to September 30, according to Scam Watch.
The most commonly reported scams were road toll scams with more than 19,000 reports and government impersonation scams with more than 17,000 reports.
The most common delivery method for scams is via text message, followed by email.
Xuan Su (pictured during his arrest in December) has also been accused of using driver’s licences, passports and other personal documents to commit fraud
Police allegedly found a number of SIM cards when they searched the property