Police have successfully infiltrated and disrupted the scam platform “LabHost”, which was used by more than 2,000 criminals to defraud victims around the world.
A major international operation led by the UK’s Metropolitan Police has seized control of LabHost, a company that since 2021 has helped cybercriminals create phishing websites to steal sensitive information such as passwords, email addresses and bank details .
In the UK alone, LabHost has helped criminals create more than 40,000 scam websites and steal the information of more than 70,000 victims. Scammers used the service to steal a vast amount of information, including 480,000 card numbers, 64,000 PINs and more than 1 million passwords.
As of early 2024, LabHost has more than 2,000 registered users who pay monthly subscription fees. Those with a “global membership” can target international victims for a monthly fee of £200 to £300.
Thirty-seven suspects have been arrested by law enforcement agencies across the UK and internationally, including at Manchester and Luton, London and Essex airports. In addition, more than 70 addresses in the UK and around the world were searched.
Yesterday, LabHost and its associated scam websites were replaced by an announcement that the police had seized them.
Meanwhile, around 25,000 identified UK victims will receive text messages warning them of possible fraud and advising them to visit the Metropolitan Police website for guidance.
Meanwhile, in a fashionable move, police emailed hundreds of LabHost service criminals a personalized “LabHost Wrapped” video, indicating that police knew their identities and activities. The aim is to undermine their confidence and deter them from using such services in the future.
It seems to me that a new role has emerged for those who want to pursue a career in cybersecurity: the cybercriminal troll.
Police around the world are making videos to scare panicked scammers and hackers and reveal in a light-hearted way how they will be caught.
nice one… pic.twitter.com/Ovql1Y0lEr
— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) April 18, 2024
“You are more likely to be the victim of fraud than any other crime,” said Dame Lynne Owens, deputy chief constable of the Metropolitan Police. “Online fraudsters think they can get away with it. They believe they It is possible to hide behind digital identities and platforms like LabHost and have absolute confidence that these sites will not be infiltrated by police, but this operation and others over the past year have shown that law enforcement around the world can, and we will, together with our private sector partners, do so. Destroy international fraud networks at their source.
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this guest author article are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Tripwire.
