Authorities have apprehended a cyber crime syndicate believed to be responsible for massive fraud targeting multiple victims. Detectives have carried out numerous arrests, spanning across the globe, including London.
Approximately 70,000 individuals in the UK fell prey to online scams, resulting in the exposure of over 480,000 card numbers and approximately 64,000 PINs on a global scale.
Authorities have apprehended a total of 37 individuals in various locations both domestically and internationally. These suspects were detained at airports in Manchester and Luton, as well as in Essex and London.
In 2021, a fraudulent website called LabHost was established by a criminal group. It provided users with the ability to create fake websites intended to deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive data like email addresses, passwords, and banking information.
Phishing involves tricking individuals into divulging sensitive information by impersonating a trusted individual, making it a form of scam.
Subscribers with criminal intentions could access the website and select from pre-existing options or make a specific request for pages that imitated those of legitimate companies such as banks, healthcare agencies, and postal services.
LabHost not only offers templates, but also an user-friendly tutorial, making it accessible for potential fraudsters with minimal technological expertise to utilize the service.
Upon conclusion of the tutorial, fraudsters were advised by a robotic voice to “remain cautious and continue spamming effectively.”
As of early 2024, over 40,000 deceptive websites had surfaced with roughly 2,000 members actively subscribed and paying on a monthly basis.
LabHost supplied false profiles for 170 companies to deceive victims, with 47 of them being located in the UK.
Individuals who opted for the “worldwide membership” had the ability to target victims globally and were charged a monthly fee ranging from £200 to £300.
Since its inception, the platform has amassed almost £1 million in payments from illicit users.
Following the seizure and disruption of the platform, 800 users were notified that authorities are aware of their identities and activities.
