Cyber criminals target smart phones

Police have revealed how cyber-criminals have developed a devious new method of accessing online bank accounts.

They're using smart phones to rip off unsuspecting users - and even steal their identities to take out new loans.

One of the clever features of having a smart phone is that you can access internet banking at will.

Brian Hay of the Queensland Police Fraud Squad says criminals are becoming more clever in accessing people’s information.

"It’s the new frontier of how we go about our daily lives electronically and it is definitely a new frontier for cyber crime.

"We’re going to see more and more criminal applications being written specifically for smart phones," he said.

It can start with a dodgy text message or email, which only needs to be opened for the process to begin according to cyber crime expert Mason Hooper.

"They can get enough information to a redirection of that phone onto their device then they can logon into the users Internet banking site," he said.

From there Mr Mason says the criminals can set up fake bank accounts - even take out loans worth up to a million dollars.

Smart phones are computers so they need protection just like PCs at home or in the study on desks.

The smart phone scam is already sweeping Europe, but Queensland police say it's so sophisticated they still don't know how widespread it is.

Until they do, software safeguards should be put in place.