The fraudulent message usually appears on the victim’s mobile phone in the same thread as genuine texts received from their bank, deceiving them into thinking it is legitimate.
But the number given in the messages is fake and puts the victim through to fraudsters posing as bank workers who take the details needed to access their bank account.
The victim s money is then transferred out of their account by criminals into mule bank accounts set-up for the purpose.
The money is then laundered, in a process known as cashing out , which was where Huang, 37, and Morgan-Findlay s shopping trips came in.