Man arrested over ‘evil twin’ fake wifi networks, AFP says

Australian Federal Police began investigating in April after an airline raised concerns about a suspicious wifi network its employees identified during a domestic flight.

Investigators searched a 42-year-old man’s baggage when he returned to Perth Airport on an interstate flight on April 19, and seized a portable wireless access device, a laptop, an a mobile phone.

Officers also searched the man’s Palmyra home.

After an initial examination of the seized devices, the AFP executed another search warrant at the man’s home on May 8, when they arrested and charged him with multiple cyber-crime offences.

Police will allege the man used a portable wireless access device to create “evil twin” free WiFi networks, which unsuspecting users believed were legitimate services.

The AFP alleges that when people tried to connect their devices to the free WiFi networks, they were taken to a fake webpage requiring them to sign in using their email or social media logins.

Those details were then allegedly saved to the man’s devices.

The email and password details harvested could be used to access more personal information, including a victim’s online communications, stored images and videos or bank details.

Investigators have allegedly identified data relating to the use of the fraudulent WiFi pages at airports in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide, on domestic flights, and at locations linked to the man’s previous employment.

The investigation is ongoing.