British police arrested four members of a teenage hacking crew suspected of breaching three major telecommunications companies through a combination of SIM-swapping, help-desk social engineering and credential theft.
The suspects, aged 16 to 19, allegedly gained access to internal administrative panels that allowed them to reroute phone numbers, intercept one-time passcodes and access sensitive subscriber records.
Investigators say the group attempted to extort the companies for payments in cryptocurrency, threatening to leak internal documents. A joint task force traced the group through operational security mistakes, including reused usernames on gaming forums.
The case highlights the growing threat posed by loosely organized, English-speaking social-engineering collectives that recruit through messaging apps and gaming communities.
