Sam Joseph Wareing: Phishing scam accused fined for refusing police access to his mobile phone

A WA man accused of being part of an elaborate text message phishing scam has been fined $1000 for refusing to give police access to his mobile phone. Sam Joseph Wareing did not appear in Joondalup Magistrate’s Court on Friday but was instead convicted and sentenced in his absence for defying a court order to give authorities the pin code to his device. During the hearing, the court was told when the 24-year-old was arrested last year a search warrant was executed at his home where officers seized $56,000 worth of Apple products that they allege had been fraudulently obtained. A police prosecutor told the court officers also seized Wareing’s phone and asked for access but he refused. A court order was then granted requiring Wareing to give police the pin code. The police prosecutor said officers went to an address in Heathridge on November 15 and personally served him with the court order, but Wareing still refused. He said Wareing was then told he would be charged but he continued to disobey the order. Magistrate Andrew Maughan convicted Wareing and fined him $1000 for refusing the order. He also has to pay $300.50 in court costs. Wareing was one of four men charged in December with multiple offences in relation to the scam that allegedly tricked innocent phone users into handing over banking logins, credit card details and passwords. Police allege the group went on to spend at least $350,000 of those funds using Apple Pay at retail store across the Perth metropolitan area between July and October 2024. Wareing, who has pleaded not guilty, to his remaining five charges, is next expected to appear in court in March.